Prevalence of Uropathogens and Associated Risk Factors in Urinary Tract Infection in Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic in a Teaching Hospital in Awka, Nigeria

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the very serious common problems encountered in pregnancy, and it is associated with severe maternal and fetal risks which include maternal chorioamnionitis, pyelonephritis, cystitis, preterm birth, low birth weight, and increased perinatal mortality if untreated. The prevalence of UTI varies worldwide. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of uropathogens and associated risk factors in UTI in pregnant women in Awka, Nigeria. This was a cross sectional study that involved 269 pregnant women. Clean-catch mid-stream morning urine specimens were collected and examined macroscopically, microscopically and bacteriologically. Information on Socio-demographic characteristics and some clinical factors were collected using pre-designed questionnaires. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 22 and the p-value was set at P=0.05. A total of 118 isolates were obtained and the prevalence of UTI in the study population was 39.8%. The most predominant bacterium was Enterococcus faecalis 34(29%), followed by Escherichia coli 21(17.8%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 15(12.7%), Staphylococcus aureus 10(8.4%), Staphyloccocus saprophyticus 7(6.0%), Enterobacter cloacae 6(5.1%), and Staphyloccocus epidermidis 4(3.4%). Citrobacter freundii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus mirabilis occurred at frequency of 3(2.5%) each while Pseudomonas oryzihabitans and Morganella morganii occurred at 2(1.7%) each. Candida species were also isolated, including Candida albicans 4(3.4%), Candida krusei 3(2.5%) and Candida guilliermondii 1(0.8%). None of the socio-demographic variables were statistically associated with UTI. Teachings on personal hygiene during every antenatal visit can help prevent UTI in pregnant women.