Bacterial Content of Acne vulgaris and its Antimicrobial Susceptibility

Abstract

Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with the pilosebaceous follicle of the skin. It is a non – infectious skin disease condition that occurs more commonly in adolescence (young adults) and less commonly in adults. The development of antibiotics resistance by species of bacteria associated with this disease condition has been due to the indiscriminate and overuse of certain antibiotics in its treatment. The aim of this study is to determine the bacterial content of Acne vulgaris and its antimicrobial susceptibility. Samples were collected under aseptic condition from fifty one (51) subjects with facial pustular and nodulocystic inflammatory lesions among Sixty (60) students of Imo state University, Owerri who participated in the study. The samples were cultured on Blood agar and Mannitol salt agar at 37°C under aerobic and anaerobic conditions for 3 to 7 days. Bacterial growths were identified by colonial morphology, gram staining and standard biochemical tests while the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the identified organisms was determined following the enumeration of the bacterial growths. Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the most prevalent organism with a Mean log10 of CFU/ml of 5.58, while Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes have a Mean Log10 of CFU/ml of 5.29 and 5.33 respectively. Based on the study, it was found Staphylococcus aureus was sensitive to Ciprofloxacin, Gentamicin, Amoxil, Rifampicin, Chloramphenicol, Ampiclox, and Levofloxacin and was resistant to Norfloxacin, Streptomycin and Erythromycin. Propionibacterium acnes was found to be sensitive to Levofloxacin, Gentamycin, Rifampicin, Ciprofloxacin and Chloramphenicol and resistant to Norfloxacin, Streptomycin, Ampiclox and Erythromycin while Staphylococcus epidermidis was sensitive to Rifampicin, Ciprofloxacin, Amoxil, Chloramphenicol, Ampiclox and Levofloxacin and resistant to Norfloxacin, Streptomycin and Erythromycin.