ISPUB.COM The Internet Journal of Microbiology Volume 2 Number 2 1 of 5 Asymptomatic Bacteriuria In Female Students Population Of A Nigerian University J Olaitan Citation J Olaitan. Asymptomatic Bacteriuria In Female Students Population Of A Nigerian University. The Internet Journal of Microbiology. 2005 Volume 2 Number 2. Abstract Background: Asymptomatic bacteriuria refers to the presence and multiplication of bacteria in the bladder urine in the absence of symptoms of urinary tract infection. Asymptomatic bacteriuria has been observed to be a strong criterion for urinary tract infections. It is therefore a means of predicting urinary tract infections. It is also common among females especially as they grow older. Materials And Methods: Mid stream urine samples were collected from 300 healthy asymptomatic undergraduate students of Lagos State University between ages of 16 and 26 who were randomly sampled. Each specimen was cultured on MacConkey agar and Blood agar. The inoculated plates were incubated (using Gallenkamp model cooled incubator) at 37°C aerobically for 24hours. Those without growth were re-incubated for an additional 24hours. Antibiotic sensitivity of the isolates was also assessed. Results: Thirty samples (10%) showed significant bacteriuria while 270(90%) showed no bacteriuria or non-significant bacteriuria. Escherichia coli was found to be the most predominant, (50%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (20%), Streptococcus faecalis (13.33%) Staphylococcus albus (10%) and Klebsiella (6.67%). Co-trimoxazole was the most effective antimicrobial agent against the isolates, while the isolates were resistant to Ampicillin and Tetracycline. Conclusion: Escherichia coli is the most common bacteria for asymptomatic bacteriuria in female university undergraduates in this study. The incidence of the bacteriuria is higher than both the younger age group in our environment as well as other parts of the world. Education on abuse and unrestricted use of antibiotics should be encouraged. INTRODUCTION The term 'bacteriuria' means the presence of bacteria in urine. It may results from contamination during or after collection of urine or it may indicate the presence of bacteria in bladder urine. To distinguish among these possibilities; Kass 1 introduced the term “significant bacteriuria” which was defined as the occurrence of 10 5 or more bacteria per ml of a voided midstream urine aseptically collected. Bacteriuria can be divided into symptomatic and asymptomatic. Asymptomatic bacteriuria refers to the presence and multiplication of bacteria in the bladder urine in the absence of symptoms of urinary tract infection while symptoms are present in symptomatic cases 3 . Bacterial infections of the urinary tract are commonly seen in outpatients, hospitalised patients and apparently healthy populations. Asymptomatic bacteriuria occurred reliably more frequently in females as compared with males and it is a major criterion of urinary tract infection(UTI) 14 . Reasons adduced to this include shorter and wider urethra and its proximity to the anus. It was therefore thought necessary to investigate incidence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in female undergraduate students and also to study the effects of commonly used antibiotics on the bacteria isolated. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three hundred healthy asymptomatic undergraduate students of Lagos State University between ages of 16 and 26 were randomly sampled. Students with any symptom suggestive of urinary tract infection or those who have taken antibiotics two weeks before or were currently on antibiotics, or pregnant were excluded from the study. Midstream urine samples were collected from clinically healthy female students into sterile universal bottles. The samples were examined immediately or refrigerated (4°C) and examined within 6 hours of collection. Each of the urine samples (5ml.) was centrifuged for 1min and examined under the microscope (Griffin model) for the