Prevalence and Susceptibility Pattern of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus saprophyticus Isolated from Patients with Urinary Tract Infections in Selected Hospitals in Northern Kaduna, Nigeria

Abstract

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the second most common bacterial infection affecting people of all ages worldwide. This study investigated the prevalence and susceptibility patterns of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus saprophyticus among patients attending selected hospitals in Northern Kaduna, Nigeria. One hundred and ninety-five (195) midstream urine samples were obtained from the patients using standard procedures. Bacterial culture on Nutrient agar revealed 34.4% (67/195) of the samples with significant bacterial growth (≥10⁵CFU/ml). Among the positive cultures, Escherichia coli accounted for 50.7% (34/67), while Staphylococcus saprophyticus accounted for 31.3% (21/67). Female patients had higher occurrences of both Escherichia coli (19.5%) and Staphylococcus saprophyticus (17.7%). Patients aged 20-29 years had the highest occurrence of Escherichia coli (26.8%), while Staphylococcus saprophyticus accounted for 14.6% of the isolates. The highest occurrence of Escherichia coli was observed among patients with tertiary education (23.3%), employed individuals (22.0%), and single participants (25.0%). Patients with lower abdominal pain, urinary incontinence and foul-smelling urine were significantly infected with Escherichia coli. Patients with vaginal discharge, multiple sex partners, women at menopause and patients with pregnancy had significant infection with Staphylococcus saprophyticus. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion. Both isolates were 100% resistant to Ampicillin; Escherichia coli had 73.5% resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, while Staphylococcus saprophyticus was 66.7% resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus saprophyticus showed the highest susceptibility to Ceftriaxone (55.9% and 41.2%), respectively. The observed resistance to commonly used antibiotics in the study highlights the need for regular and effective management of urinary tract infections.