Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Uropathogenic Bacteria Isolated at Tobruk Medical Center, Tobruk, Libya: A 4-Year Retrospective Study

• Osamah Miftah Ahmed

  Department of Medical Laboratory, University of Tobruk, Tobruk, Libya.

  Author

• Miftah Larbid

  Department of Nutrition, University of Tobruk, Tobruk, Libya.

  Author

• Alkadafe Agelah

  Center for Research, Consulting, and Training, University of Tobruk, Tobruk, Libya.

  Author

The UTI is one of the most common bacterial diseases, and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance is now an acute risk to population health. The current study investigated the prevalence of Uropathogenic bacteria and their resistance trend in a sample of patients at the Tobruk Medical Centre. Methods: Between January 2021 and December 2024, 6,032 urine specimens were taken from patients suspected of UTI. Isolates were identified with standard microbiological and biochemical methods. Susceptibility was tested by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion following CLSI (Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute) guidelines (20). Results: Significant bacterial growth was recovered from 1,264 specimens (20.95%). Gram-negative organisms dominated, with Escherichia coli as the leading isolate (49.36%), followed by Klebsiella spp. (16.85%) and Proteus spp. (11.07%). Staphylococcus aureus (14.79%) was the chief gram-positive isolate. Several isolates remained highly susceptible to nitrofurantoin and ciprofloxacin, but resistance increased against Augmentin, ceftazidime, Clarithromycin, and gentamicin. Conclusion: Gram-negative bacteria and Escherichia coli, in this case, were the main causative agents of UTIs. These findings highlight the need to have continuous surveillance and prudent use of antibiotics in an effort to strengthen the control of UTI in eastern Libya.

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