Abstract: Opportunistic infections including urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the predominant cause of morbidity and mortality among HIV infected patients. Persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are prone to infection from non-pathogenic microbes in the environment than normal individuals; and this development has been greatly attributed to the weakened immune system of HIV infected patients which makes it difficult to protect the body against invading commensal organisms. In this study, midstream urine (MSU) samples from HIV infected patients who attended the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA), Ebonyi State, Nigeria for routine antiretroviral therapy were evaluated by microbiological analysis for uropathogens. Antibiogram was also investigated on all isolated uropathogens by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. The uropathogens isolated from the MSU of HIV infected patients in this study were identified as: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis. S. aureus was the most prevalent isolated organism (n=34). This was followed by K. pneumoniae (n=17), E. coli (16) and P. mirabilis (n=8). All uropathogens produced varying rates of susceptibility and resistance patterns to the tested antibiotics. High sensitivity was observed with gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin and amoxycillin-clavulanic acid. Cefotaxime, ceftazidime, cefazolin, ceftriaxone, cefepime, and cefoxitin (which are all 3rd-generation β-lactams) showed less efficacy against the uropathogens. This study draws attention to the increasing rate of UTIs amongst HIV infected patients in Abakaliki metropolis, Ebonyi State of Nigeria, and the resistance of uropathogens to some available antibiotics. Therefore, there is need to checkmate the menace through proper detection and treatment of affected individuals in order to improve the health status of PLWHA in this environment.Abstract: Opportunistic infections including urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the predominant cause of morbidity and mortality among HIV infected patients. Persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are prone to infection from non-pathogenic microbes in the environment than normal individuals; and this development has been greatly attributed to the weaken...Show More
