Incidence of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) among pregnant women in Akwa metropolis, Southeastern Nigeria

Abstract

This study reports the bacteriological aetiology and incidence of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics at hospitals in Akwa metropolis, Southeastern Nigeria. A total of 100 mid-stream urine samples were collected and cultured for the presence of bacterial pathogens, 54 showed significant bacterial growth while 46 showed no significant bacterial growth. Bacterial agents were isolated from 54 pregnant women and were identified as: Escherichia coli; Klebsiella spp., Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Escherichia coli [20(37%)] was the commonest offending bacterial pathogen isolated. Other bacterial pathogens incriminated in this study were Klebsiella spp. [11(20.4%)], Proteus mirabilis [9(16.7%)], Pseudomonas aeruginosa [7(13%)], Staphylococcus aureus [4(7.4%)] and Staphylococcus epidermidis [3(5.6%)]. The study indicated a high incidence of UTIs (54%) though most of the pregnant women showed no clinical manifestation.