Streptococcus pyogenes: Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern and As-sociated Factors among Children with Pharyngitis in Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Streptococcus pyogenes accounts for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year in developing countries, yet data on its prevalence among children in Southern Ethiopia is scarce. This study evaluated the prevalence, patterns of antibiotic resistance, and associated factors of S. pyogenes among children with pharyngi-tis at government health facilities in Dilla town. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was administered using a systematic random sampling technique. Standard microbiological methods were employed to process throat swabs, and the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was used to assess antimicrobial susceptibility, following CLSI recommendations for data interpretation. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 25. The overall prevalence of S. pyogenes was found to be 34 out of 259 (13.1%) [CI: 9.0-17.0%1. None of the S. pyogenes isolates were resistant to penicillin G or vancomycin, though variable resistance to other antibiotics was observed. Multi-drug resistant (MDR) S. pyogenes accounted for 13 out of 34 isolates (38.2%). Low family income [<1500 ETB (approximately $29); p = 0.015.1 was significantly associated with the presence of S. pyogenes. These findings are consistent with other studies conducted in Ethiopia, highlighting the continued effectiveness of penicillin G and vancomycin against S. pyogenes, while also revealing a higher percentage of MDR strains. Additionally, low socio-economic status was identified as a risk factor, indicating the need for health education initiatives to reduce the burden of pharyngitis.