Prevalence of Escherichia Coli in Urine Samples in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is defined as the microbial invasion of genitourinary tract. It is a bacterial infection that affects any part of the urinary tract. UTI is the most prevalent infections worldwide with a high global burden 1. UTI is known to affect approximately 150 million people each year and is responsible for approximately seven million doctor visits per year2, 3. UTI can be caused by Gram negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species, Enterobacter species, Proteus species and Gram positive bacteria like Enterococcus species and Staphylococcus saprophyticus. Escherichia coli, the most prevalent facultative gram negative bacillus in the human fecal flora, usually inhibits the colon as an innocuous commensal. UTIs are the most common form of the extraintestinal Escherichia coli infections and Escherichia coli is the most common cause of UTIs.