In vitro Antibiotic Sensitivity of Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from a Nigerian Fermented Cereal Drink.

The sensitivity of 253 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from a Nigerian locally-fermented cereal drink (kunun zaki) to 11 antimicrobial agents was determined. Two hundred and forty-seven (97.6%) strains were resistant to one or more of the antimicrobial agents and only 4 (1.6%) isolates were sensitive to all of the agents. Of the isolates from the kunun zaki preparation, 97.8% were resistant while 98.6% from kunun zaki bought at sale outlet and 96.7% of those isolated from utensils were resistant. There was no significant difference in resistance of isolates from the sources (P>0.05, X2). Resistance to penicillin (92.9%), ampicillin (92.9%) and trimethoprim (80.2%) was most frequently encountered while fewer isolates wereresistant to gentamycin (2.0%) and neomycin (3.6%). The predominant antimicrobial resistance pattern was ampicillin-penicillin-trimethoprim detected in 43 (17.0%) strains. The relatively high resistance of S. aureus strains isolated from kunun zaki to the tested antimicrobial agents is suggestive of misuse of those drugs in Nigeria.