A Study on Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern and Detection of Virulence Markers of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Isolated From Patients in Hospital

Abstract

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infectious diseases encountered in clinical practice. Emerging resistance of the uropathogens to the antimicrobial agents due to biofilm formation is a matter of concern while treating symptomatic UTI. But studies addressing the issue of biofilm production by uropathogens in Indian scenario are scarce. Aim of the study was to study biofilm formation and antimicrobial sensitivity pattern of uropathogens. Bacteria are responsible for about 95% of UTIs. The emergence of anti-microbial resistance in uropathogens may lead to poor treatment outcomes in individuals with UTIs. The knowledge of the microorganism and antibiograms are important for the empirical treatment of UTIs. A cross-sectional study was carried out over 12 months with a focus on the identification of bacterial pathogens causing UTI and the evaluation of their antibiogram. In total, 583 urine samples were collected from individuals with suspected UTIs and inoculated on recommended media. Isolation and identification of the bacterial strains were performed using standard microbiological protocols. The frequently identified isolates were Escherichia coli (68.9%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (8.9%) and Staphylococcus aureus (6.7%). The highest percentages of resistance have been observed against tested antibiotics. The majority of the isolates were extended spectrum β-lactamase producers (85.2%) and multidrug-resistant (98.3%). We observed that Gram-negative bacteria were the main cause of UTIs where the predominant microorganism was E. coli.