Isolation, Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern, and Characterization of Bacterial Pathogens Causing Urinary Tract Infections Among Undergraduate Students of Tansian University, Umunya, Anambra State, Nigeria

Antimicrobial resistance is a major factor that impedes treatment of infectious diseases, especially in developing countries. This study was conducted to evaluate susceptibility pattern of bacterial isolates responsible for urinary tract infections among undergraduate students at Tansian University, Umunya, Anambra State, Nigeria. Forty urine samples were aseptically collected from 40 participants using sterile capped plastic bottle. The samples were analyzed for the presence of uropathogens using standard microbiological technique and isolates were characterized based on cultural and microscopic features. The susceptibility pattern of the bacterial isolates to conventional antibiotics was evaluated using antibiotics discs diffusion technique. The study revealed the growth of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella species, Pseudomonas species, and Candida species. Also, Ciprofloxacin was most active against all the isolates, especially Pseudomonas species that recorded zones of inhibition of 13.00 mm, followed by Streptomycin (12.00 mm), against Staphylococcus aureus while the least was Pefloxacin (2.00 mm). The only resistance was recorded in Escherichia coli isolated from female participants against Ceftriaxone. The study has revealed that uropathogens could be inhibited by conventional antibiotics, especially Ciprofloxacin, though bactericidal activity has to be ascertained for optimum efficacy.