ABSTRACT

Asymptomatic bacteriuria or asymptomatic urinary infection are bacteria present in urine in the absence of clinical signs and symptoms of urinary infection in the hosts. The microbiological definition is having greater than or equal to 10⁵cfu/ml of same organism(s) in a urine specimen. This study investigated the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in female students and to determine the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of bacterial isolates. A total of forty (40) female student urine samples were examined and analyzed for asymptomatic bacteriuria. The total number of positive cultures (with significant growth) 17 out of 40 samples analyzed representing 42.5% is presented in table 4 while 57.5% was with insignificant growth. Culture plates with bacteria count greater than or equal to 10⁵cfu/ml were considered significant and thus indicative of UTI (Urinary tract infection). The bacterial isolates and their percentage prevalence of the organisms is as show in table 3. Escherichia coli was found to be the most prevalent (47.0%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (23.5%) and Klebsiella Spp (11.7%). The least prevalent organisms were Proteus Spp and Streptococcus Spp with 11.7% and 5.8% respectively. Isolates were tested against antibiotics which included Ampicillin, Cotrimoxazole, Ciprofloxacin, Gentamicin, Tetracycline and Chloramphenicol by disc diffusion method. The occurrence of asymptomatic bacteriuria was 42.5% while the isolates were E. coil representing 47.0% of the isolates. Others were S. aureus 23.5%, Klebsiella Spp (11.7%); Proteus Spp (11.7%) and Streptococcus Spp (5.88%). A negative test for nitrite and leucocyte esterase was not used to rule out an infection as culture was demonstrated on such samples. Positive tests from the urine dipstick analysis however required further confirmation through urine culture. Ciprofloxacin was the most active antibiotic as it achieved a success rate of 87.5% against E. coil while Tetracycline and Ampicillin recorded the least. The incidence rate of 42.5% reported in this study should be of great concern because asymptomatic bacteriuria predisposes patients to UTI.