Abstract

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) represent a significant health concern among young female adults globally. While bacterial pathogens dominate UTI etiology, fungal organisms have become increasingly important uropathogens, particularly in specific patient populations. This study investigated the prevalence of UTI among young female adults in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria, and characterized isolated fungal organisms using molecular techniques. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 87 young female adults aged 15-30 years between February and April 2023. Mid-stream urine samples were collected and processed using standard microbiological techniques. Fungal isolates were identified through conventional methods and confirmed using PCR-RFLP and DNA sequencing of the ITS region. The overall UTI prevalence was 58.62% (51/87 cases), with the highest prevalence in women aged 21-25 years (31.03%) and married participants (34.48%). Seven distinct fungal species were isolated and molecularly characterized, with Aspergillus niger being the most prevalent (21.57%), followed by A. welwitschiae (19.61%), Aspergillus tubingensis (15.69%), A. aculeatus (13.73%), A. tamarii (11.77%), A. sclerotiorum (9.8%), and Penicillium citrinum (7.84%). Aspergillus species comprised 88.24% of all isolates. This study reveals an alarmingly high prevalence of fungal presence in urine samples among young female adults, with an unprecedented predominance of Aspergillus species rather than the typically expected Candida species.  These findings raise important questions about environmental contamination, opportunistic infections, and regional epidemiological patterns requiring further investigation.