Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns and Beta-Lactamase Production of Animal and Human Isolates of Campylobacter in Lagos, Nigeria

: Forty-three stool samples and rectal swabs were collected from diarrhoeic and 20 non-diarrhoeic patients under 5 years of age at various general hospitals in Lagos. A total of 110 faecal samples from animals (101 from chickens and 9 from pigs) were obtained from Mitchel farm, Agege and Oshodi--Isolo Local Government farms at Ejigbo. Campylobacter species were isolated from 6 (13.9%) of 43 children with gastroenteritis and none from 20 asymptomatic subjects. Forty-nine (48.5%) isolates from the hundred and one faecal specimen were isolated from chicken, while 3 (33.33%) out of 9 were from pigs. Campylobacter jejuni was the most prevalent accounting for 79% of the total isolates and C. coli accounted for 25%. All the human strains were gentamicin sensitive, while streptomicin and cloxacillin were resistant. Erythromycin had a high activity (83.3%) on human strains and only 59.6% activity on animal strains. About ten percent (9.6%) of the strains produced beta-lactamase.