carrier rate of escherichia coli o157:h7 among apparently healthy people in ondo state and its antibiogram

Background: e.coli o157:h7 is a pathogenic bacterium that can be found in faecal contaminated foods and water. the organism causes special kind of diarrhoea known as haemorrhagic diarrhoea and highly resistant to many antibiotics. our aim therefore is to know the prevalence rate in ondo state and the antibiotics sensitivity pattern of the isolates. methods: five hundred (500) diarrhoeic stool samples were collected from apparently healthy individuals in the state. the samples were brought to the lab immediately and cultured on eosin methylene blue agar overnight. colonies with blue black colour were sub-cultured into sorbitol macconkey agar a differential medium for the growth and differentiation of e. coli, biochemical analysis was done to ascertain the organism`s identity. moreover, the sensitivity pattern of the isolates to conventional antibiotics was also carried out. results: out of 500 diarrhoeic stool samples examined in the cause of this research work, two hundred and thirty five were males, while two hundred and sixty five were females. eighty (16%) were positive for e. coli o157:h7. forty seven (20%) out of the males sampled were positive for the organism, while thirty three (12.5%) of the females sampled were positive. in relation to age group, the carrier rate was higher in age group 71-80 years in which fifty per cent (50%) were positive. the isolate were sensitive to the following antibiotics in an increasing order as follows: septrin (0%), ampicillin (0%), nalidixic acid (2.5%), augmentin (5%), ciproflox (5%), peflacine (16.25%), tarivid (16.25%), ceporex (16.25%), streptomycin (33.75%) and gentamycin (81.25%). the significance of these results was discussed. conclusion: this result has been able to show that the prevalence of e. coli o157:h7 in ondo state is low and gentamycin is the antibiotic that can be used to contain the infection in the communities. people also must be made to know the importance of hygiene in preventing the infection with the pathogen.