Prevalence of Multidrug Resistant Escherichia Coli In Suspected Cases of Urinary Tract Infection Among Patients Attending Ahmadu Bello University Medical Center, Zaria

Abstract

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a major health concern, being the second most prevalent human bacterial infection after respiratory tract infections. Patients with UTIs are potential sources of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli (E. coli), which can spread antimicrobial resistance genes to other bacteria in the environment and human populations. The aim of this study was to isolate and determine the prevalence of MDR Escherichia coli from patients suspected of having UTIs attending Ahmadu Bello University Medical Center, Zaria. A total of 95 urine samples were collected and processed using standard microbiological methods to isolate and identify E. coli. The antibacterial susceptibility pattern of the isolates was determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method and the Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) indices. Of the 95 urine samples, 32 were from males and 63 from females, with ages ranging from 5 to 74 years. The results showed that 35 (36.8%) of the samples were positive for E. coli, with a higher prevalence in female patients (23 or 24.2%) compared to male patients (12 or 12.4%). A high prevalence of E. coli was also observed in patients aged 15-24 and 25-34 years. The E. coli isolates exhibited high resistance to sparfloxacin (91.4%), followed by cotrimoxazole and amoxicillin (82.9%). Additionally, 30 (85.7%) of the isolates showed multi-drug resistance, and 94.3% (n = 33/35) had a MAR index above 0.2. The study suggests that some of the E. coli isolates were from high-risk, contaminated sources where there is frequent antibiotic usage. The findings emphasize the need for physicians to prescribe antibiotics to patients following standard antibacterial susceptibility testing to curb the spread of antibiotic resistance.