Abstract

Enteric bacterial infections of the urinary tract can lead to serious complications if not promptly diagnosed and adequately treated. This study investigated the prevalence and antibiotics susceptibility pattern of enteric bacteria in urine from students of a tertiary institution in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study design was employed, involving urine samples from three hundred and twenty (320) students, and processed aseptically following standard bacteriological techniques to screen the urine specimens for bacterial contaminants. The bacterial isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method and the reaction was interpreted according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute breakpoints. The enteric bacteria recovered from the urine samples included Escherichia coli (43.8%), Serratia spp. (18.8%), Salmonella spp. (18.8%), Shigella spp. (18.8%), Klebsiella spp. (15.6%), and Proteus spp. (12.5%). Overall, 87.5% of the students sampled yielded positive urine cultures for enteric bacteria, with bacteriuria more prevalent among female students (59.4%) than male students (28.1%). Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that all Escherichia coli isolates (100%) were susceptible to pefloxacin, whereas all Salmonella spp. isolates (100%) exhibited resistance to cefuroxime. These findings highlight a high burden of enteric bacterial contamination in urine among the student population and demonstrate notable variability in antibiotic susceptibility patterns. The study underscores the importance of regular surveillance of enteric bacteria in urine and advocates for routine antimicrobial susceptibility testing prior to treatment to ensure effective management and to mitigate the emergence of antibiotic resistance