Epidemiological Study Of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria Among Nursery School Children In Ahvaz, Iran

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic bateriuria in preschool children of different age and sex groups and to isolate the organisms responsible for asymptomatic bacteriuria and determine their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. A total of 475 children from 17 nurseries in Ahvaz city, Iran were screened by collecting mid-stream urine samples for the presence of causative organisms. Asymptomatic bacteriuria was observed in 16 cases (3.36%). The isolated pathogens included Escherichia coli (50 %), Proteus mirabilis (25 %) and coagulase negative staphylococcus (25 %). The antibiograms indicated that Gentamicin (100 %), Nalidixic acid (100 %), Amikacin (75%), Kanamycin (75 %), Nitrofurantoin ( 62.5 %), Tobramycin ( 62.5 %), Tetracycline ( 50 %) and Chloramphenicol (37.5%), were in that order the most effective of the antibiotics tested against E. coli isolates. Proteus mirabilis showed 100% sensitivity to Amikacin, Gentamicin, Kanamycin, Nalidixic acid and Tobramycin followed by Nitrofurantoin (75%), Cephalotin (50%) and Chloramphenicol (50%). Similarly, antibiogram of coagulase negative staphylococcus showed 75% sensitivity to both Nalidixic acid and Kanamycin. This result indicated a significant rise in the frequency of Escherichia coli in asymptomatic bacteriuria.

Key words: Asymptomatic bacteriuria, children, urinary tract infections

Afr. J. Clin. Exper. Microbiol. 2005; 6(2): 159-161