The characterization of bacterial isolates from acute otitis media in Ile-Ife, southwestern Nigeria

The incidence of acute otitis media (AOM) in a comprehensive healthcare setting was investigated in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Out of the 617 children examined, 53 (11.64 per cent) suffered from the condition based on the criteria used. Staphylococci constituted the predominant organisms associated with the condition with Staphylococcus aureus (25.0 per cent) being the most frequent single microbe recovered from the subjects. This was followed by Proteus mirabilis (16.2 per cent), Staphylococcus sp. (8.8 per cent), Streptococcus pneumoniae (8.8 per cent), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Haemophilus influenzae (7.4 per cent each). Most isolates tested were multiply resistant to the antibiotics commonly employed in treating infections caused by these organisms. The study highlights the prevalence of multi-resistant organisms amongst the subjects and recommends prompt therapeutic intervention to avert ineffectiveness of antibiotics when used in treating infections caused by these organisms in the community.