Isolates of
Staphylococcus aureus
from children aged 5 years and below with sporadic diarrhoea were tested for their ability to produce beta-lactamase enzyme. Of the 95 isolates tested 79 (83.2%) were beta-lactamase-producing strains. The study confirms that majority of clinical isolates of
S. aureus from diarrhoeic children acquire resistance to the beta-lactam antibiotics as a result of beta-lactamase activity.