Isolation and antibiotic susceptibility of Salmonella and Shigella strains isolated from children in Gaza, Palestine from 1999 to 2006

Background and Aim: Diarrhea and acute gastroenteritis are among the leading causes of illnesses and death in infants and children throughout the world, especially in developing countries, Globally, Salmonella and Shigella remain the major contributors to acute enteric infections and diarrhea. Methods: In the present study, Shigella- and Salmonella-related diarrhea was studied among 3570 children in Gaza, Palestine from January 1999 to September 2006 to determine the prevalence and the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates. Results: The frequency of isolation was 1.8% (65/3570) for Salmonella spp. and 0.8% (28/3570) for Shigella spp. Shigella flexneri (16/28) was the most frequently isolated Shigella species. Most of the Shigella isolates were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (89%), ampicillin (79%) and chloramphenicol (46%) and most of the Salmonella isolates showed resistance to ampicillin (62%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (35%), chloramphenicol (35%) and cephalexin (26%). Conclusion: These data reinforce the need for continuous monitoring of microbiological and antimicrobial surveillance and the necessity to regulate the use of antimicrobials. According to the current study, ampicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and chloramphenicol should not be used as empiric treatment of diarrhea in children.