Tanzania: Study Warns Rising Drug-Resistant Infections Among Newborns
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Tanzania: Study Warns Rising Drug-Resistant Infections Among Newborns

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Mwanza — NEWBORNS face a growing threat from severe infections that are increasingly difficult to treat because of bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics, a study conducted at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) has revealed.

Presenting her findings in Mwanza, Dr Delfina Msanga of the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences said neonatal sepsis remained a major concern because newborns have immature immune systems and infections can become life-threatening rapidly.

Her research, titled “Gut Bacterial Microbiome Diversity and Multi Drug Resistant Neonatal Sepsis Among Neonates Admitted at Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, Tanzania,” highlights the need for improved diagnosis, infection prevention and responsible antibiotic use.

A review of 12 hospitalbased studies in Tanzania found a pooled prevalence of microbiologically confirmed neonatal sepsis of 33 per cent, while the pooled case-fatality rate was 16 per cent.


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At BMC, researchers enrolled 327 newborns suspected of having bloodstream infections between January 2023 and May 2024.

Laboratory tests confirmed infections in 53 babies, representing 16.2 per cent of participants. Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 73.5 per cent of confirmed cases, with Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter species among the leading causes.

Dr Msanga said laboratory investigations were crucial in identifying infection-causing bacteria and guiding treatment.

However, the study found high resistance to commonly used antibiotics, including cephalosporins, aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones.

The wider review also identified substantial resistance to first-line medicines such as ampicillin and gentamicin, as well as second-line treatments including ceftriaxone and cefotaxime.

Although carbapenems remained largely effective against the studied Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, she cautioned that their effectiveness needed to be preserved through responsible prescribing.

The research team also developed a diagnostic algorithm combining birth weight, C-reactive protein concentrations and neutrophil count.

It achieved an area under the curve of 0.82 and specificity of 97 per cent, but sensitivity was only 43 per cent. Dr Msanga warned that the tool could miss infections and should complement, rather than replace, clinical assessment and laboratory investigations.

Further validation was necessary before widespread use. Analysis of gut bacteria found that Klebsiella or Escherichia-Shigella dominated the microbial community in eight of 18 infected newborns, compared with two of 16 healthy newborns.