The Prevalence Of Moraxella Catarrhalis
In Lower Respiratory Tract Infections
240-241
Correspondence
Anita.K.B, Nandanvan, Near KUSHE School, Attavara, Mangalore,
Karnataka, India -575001
E-mail id: anitakasargod@yahoo.com, Phone: +91 9945354173
The recognition of Moraxella catarrhalis as an important human respiratory tract pathogen, together with the increasing prevalence of beta lactamase producing strains, has generated much interest in this bacterium. The aim of the present study was to know the prevalence of respiratory tract infections which were caused due to Moraxella catarrhalis, to compare its isolation rates with the common respiratory pathogens and to study its antibiotic susceptibility pattern. Sputum samples were collected from 1402 adult patients with lower respiratory tract infections. The specimens were subjected to gram staining, culturing and antibiotic sensitivity testing. The isolates were identified by their appearance on gram staining and their colony characteristics and their biochemical tests.
The β - lactamse assay ANITA K .B,. FASEELA T S, NEVILLE FERNANDEZ, CHAITHRA S MALLI, SRIKARA MALLYA and antibiotic susceptibility testing were done. A total of 137 Moraxella catarrhalis strains were isolated from 1402 sputum samples (9.8%). The isolation rate of Moraxella catarrhalis alone was 10.2%. The isolation with H. influenzae was 10.9% and with S. pneumoniae, it was 4.16%. The isolation along with both H. influenzae and S. pneumoniae was 30.6%. The antibiotic sensitivity pattern showed only 14% sensitivity to Penicillin, but the sensitivity to Amoxyclav was 100%. There was more than 90% sensitivity to both cefotaxime and ceftriaxone. The sensitivity to erythromycin was 84%, while it was 95% to both tetracycline and chloramphenicol. β -lactamase production was detected in 86% of the isolates.