Diversity and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Some Bacterial Uropathogens among Female Students of a Tertiary Institution in South-Eastern Nigeria

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is one of the common diseases that affect people of all age groups. It can be symptomatic or asymptomatic but the prevalence is higher in females. This study investigated the diversity and antibiograms of the implicated microorganisms among female undergraduate students of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. A total of 60 apparently healthy female students of the university who consented to the study were included. Each participant submitted a 15ml urine sample and records of age and place of residence were taken. The samples were cultured on Blood agar and MacConkey agar. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Significant bacteriuria was observed in 23(38.3%) of the samples; while insignificant bacteriuria was 22(36.7%) and there was no bacterial growth in 15(25%). The prevalence of significant bacteriuria was higher among female students who stayed in the hostel 19(82.6%) than among those who stayed off-campus 4(17.4%). Significant bacteriuria (69.6%) occurred highest among those between 22-24 years old, followed by those within the age group 25-27 years (17.4%). The Gram-positive isolates were Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus saprophyticus; while Gram-negative isolates were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species and Proteus species The Gram-positive isolates were highly susceptible to Pefloxacin, Gentamicin and Zinnacef; while the Gram-negative isolates were highly susceptible to Ciprofloxacin, Pefloxacin and Ofloxacin. The findings emphasize the need for personal hygiene among the female undergraduates, proper sanitation, and provision of sufficient standard toilet facilities in the hostels.