Local Surveillance Identifies High-Priority Gram-Negative Pathogens to Guide Antibiotic Stewardship in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Gram-negative pathogens are notable causes of diverse human infections. This study determined the antibiotic sensitivity profile of clinical isolates of gram-negative bacteria to provide insights into high-priority pathogens that are potential threats to public health in Ghana. Gram-negative isolates from urine, stool, wound, and blood samples of consenting participants were tested against 10 antibiotics using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the predominant bacteria isolated from the study participants. Resistance to colistin (4%) and meropenem (20%) was less prevalent, whereas isolates resistant to ampicillin (94%), tigecycline (85.5%), and chloramphenicol (76%) were widespread in the study participants. Acinetobacter baumannii exhibited the highest resistance phenotype among the clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria. Our data highlight the ineffectiveness of tigecycline, ampicillin, and chloramphenicol against several gram-negative pathogens isolated from the study participants. The utilization of meropenem and colistin should be strongly monitored to avoid misuse because they represent effective antibiotics for treatment of gram-negative infections.