EAR INFECTION

Background: Ear infections, also known as otitis media, are a common type of bacterial infection that mostly affect children. Plasmid profiling is a molecular technique used to identify and characterize the types of plasmids carried by bacterial isolates. This technique has a wide range of applications in microbiology, including the study of bacterial epidemiology, antibiotic resistance, and gene transfer. It can provide valuable information about the genetic diversity of bacterial populations and the mechanisms by which bacteria acquire and transfer resistance genes. Methods: The study evaluated a hundred and twenty seven patients from the Ear, Nose and Throat department at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin city. Patient’s data collected were age, gender, alcohol history, smoking history, medical history, Frequency of symptoms, ears affected, use of cotton bud, ear cleaning frequency among others. Isolates obtained were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing and plasmid curing with 0.1mL and 0.4mL Ethidium bromide as the curing agent using standard agar disc diffusion method. Results: A total of 73.68% of our study participants were female, and 14.47% were male. Participants aged 21-25 had the highest occurrence (34.6%), linked to the patients ear cleaninghabits. The prevalence of Staphylococcus spp and Pseudomonas aeruginosa from both aerobic and anaerobic Isolate was the highest (49.33% and 47.06%) in the bacterial isolates obtained from study participants after incubation.The most prevalent mult-idrug resistant isolate was Staphylococcus aureus (25%) for aerobic isolate and Pseudomonas spp for anaerobic Isolate. Fluoroqinolones was the most effective antibiotics used for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Post
curing with 0.1mg/ml and 0.4mg/ml Ethidium bromide,33.33%,100% and 0% was cured after further antimicrobial susceptibility testing with Fluoroqinolones, Macrolides and Penicillin) respectively. Conclusion:The presence of plasmid-mediated multidrug resistance genes in bacteria isolates from patients with ear infection underscores the need for antibiograms and responsible antibiotic usage in the management of ear infection.

Introduction: Ear infections, particularly otitis media, represent a common health concern globally, impacting individuals across diverse demographics. In developing countries like Nigeria, the prevalence and incidence of ear infections and demographics is not well documented. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, bacterial etiology, susceptibility patterns, and associated factors of ear infections among patients presenting with otitis symptoms thus contributing to the wealth of available knowledge on ear infections.
Methodology: This study evaluated 43 patients who visited the Ear, Nose and Throat clinic in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital for washing and check-up of their ear. Patient data and specimen were obtained at the study centre. Microbiology analysis as well as antimicrobial susceptibility and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration determination were carried out in the specimen at the Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology laboratory of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, using standard techniques.
Results: Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeroginosa accounted for the most predominant isolates from the specimens obtained from participants with vary susceptibility to commonly used antibiotics. Furthermore, results obtained revealed the presence of Klebsiella oxytoca and Enteriobacteria in the ear of respondents which is in contrast to what already exist in literature.
Conclusion: The study demonstrated the activity of specific antibiotics against bacteria isolates from ear infections both Gram-positive and Gram-negative present in the ear of patients in the study center.