BACTERIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF CHLOROQUINE SYRUPS SOLD IN CALABAR MUNICIPALITY, NIGERIA

Bacteriological qualities of three different brands of chloroquine syrup (EZR, DMR and MBR) commonly sold in Calabar municipality, Nigeria were evaluated using standard microbiological techniques. Each brand was evaluated in duplicates and examined visually for possible abnormalities such as colour, turbidity and un-usual odour. This was followed by determination of viable cell count and identification of bacterial isolates. Chloroquine syrups sample EZR and MBR had mean bacterial count of 1.0x103cfu/ml respectively and DMR had 3.0x103cfu/ml. The isolates were staphylococcus aureus (47%), Escherichia coli (38%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15%). All strain of S. aureus was sensitive to gentamycin (CN), ciprofloxacin (CPX), septin (SXT), Erythromycin (E) and resistance to Taravid (OFX), Amoxacillin (AM) and Ampicillin (AP). Escherichia coli strains isolated showed sensitivity to ciprofloxacin (CPX), Taravid (OFX) and septin (SXT) and was resistance to gentamycin (CN), Amoxacillin (AM) and Ampicillin (AP). P. aeroginosa strains were sensitive to Ciprofloxacin (CPX) and Taravid (OFX), and was resistant to Gentamycin (CN). The colony forming unit (cfu) for the sample DMR found in the study is below World Health Organization (WHO) standard. Thus, this finding is a major health concern