Nosocomial or hospital-acquired infections continue to contribute significantly to the global disease burden, particularly in developing countries, where limited data exists on specific pathogens involved. A study was conducted at Ho Teaching Hospital to examine the presence of nosocomial pathogens in various wards, utilizing standard bacterial detection methodologies to sample several objects and equipment highly prone to contamination.
The study entailed swabbing 15 different items in 14 wards. Analysis of collected samples revealed that 53.8% of 210 samples were positive for bacteria, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most frequently isolated pathogen from the swabbed objects. The data also indicated significant resistance to tetracycline amongst pathogens, but a 75.9% susceptibility to ciprofloxacin in S. aureus isolates.
In detail, 134 separate bacterial isolates were identified from ten different species. Gram-positive bacteria, comprising 89% of these isolates, were dominant, while Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 11%. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit had the highest frequency of bacterial isolation. Multidrug-resistant strains were identified, indicating that the prevalence of S. aureus and other Gram-positive isolates presents a significant nosocomial infection risk in the hospital environment.
The study underlines the need for robust surveillance systems for nosocomial infections, which are lacking in many countries, particularly those with limited resources. Analyzing bacterial pathogens from hospital equipment and wards provides essential data for infection prevention and control gains. However, routine monitoring in low-to-middle-income countries is challenging due to resource constraints, adding to the nosocomial infection burden. The study concludes a higher prevalence rate of epidemiologically significant pathogenic microbes in the hospital’s selected wards and units, posing a substantial possible nosocomial infection risk.
Source: https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-025-11680-1