Objective: To assess antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Tamil Nadu, India.
Methods: Data on AMR of commensal and uropathogenic Escherichia coli were collected from one urban (Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore) and one rural (CMCH Rural Unit for Health and Social Affairs) centre in Tamil Nadu at monthly intervals for 1 year.
Results: Forty-two per cent of commensal E. coli was resistant to one or more of the tested antimicrobials. 8.4% were resistant to three drugs commonly used for the treatment of urinary tract infections, namely ampicillin, co-trimoxazole and nalidixic acid. 1.5% of isolates were resistant to nitrofurantoin. There was no significant difference between resistance rates in commensal E. coli collected in rural and urban areas. Resistance was more common in infecting than commensal strains.
Discussion: Resistance to most antimicrobials is high both in urban and rural areas. Higher resistance to antimicrobials used widely for the treatment suggests that drug use contributes to it. Hence unnecessary use of antimicrobials must be avoided. Surveillance among commensal E. coli can be used to monitor changes in AMR over time.