ABSTRACT

A total of 100 subjects were screened for  S. aureus strains, thirty (30) S. aureus isolates were obatained. The carriage of β-lactamase among the 30 isolates was determined by using starch iodine agar plate method. It was found that 19(63.3%) of the S. aureus strains were β-lactamase producing. Plasmid curing of the β-lactamase producing isolates was done using acredine orange supplimented nutrient agar to determine if their β-lactamase producing capability was plasmid mediated or not. It was found that 5(26.3%) of the β-lactamase producing isolates possess plasmids for β-lactamase production. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates was examined by means of agar diffusion method. The following selected antibiotic dics were used. Ceftazidime 30µg (Oxoid) Cefuroxime 30µg (Oxoid), Oxacillin 1µg (Oxoid), Graxome 30µg (Oxoid), Augmentin 30µg (Abtek) Gentamycin 10µg (Abtek), Amoxicillin 25µg (Abtek) and  Oflaxacin 5µg (Abtek). It  was found that the pecentage resistance of the β-lactamase producing isolates to Augmentin, Amoxicillin, ceftazidime, Cefuroxime, Oxacillin, Getamycin, Oflaxacin and Graxome was 0%, 15.8%, 5.2%, 5.2%,10.5%,10.5%, 47.3% and 15.8% respective.  The Chi square goodness of fit (one sample test) was used to test the level of significance of the carriage of β-lactamase and antibiotics resistance plasmids by strains of S. aureus in the study population. It was found out that the carriage of β-lactamase was statistically significant with a level of 0.05