An epidemiological study of urinary tract infections in Benghazi, Libya

Two groups of patients comprised 100 males and 100 females were investigated. All patients were more than 15 years of age and presented to the medical outpatient department with urinary tract symptoms. Fifty six male and female patients had no significant bacteriuria despite symptoms similar to those observed in 144 bacteriuric patients. Pyuria was observed in both bacteriuric and non-bacteriuric patients. Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen isolated from clinical specimens and was followed by Proteus sp. and Staph epidermidis. Escherichia coli was the main cause of acute urinary tract infection in adult females, while Proteus sp. caused a significantly greater proportion of symptomatic infections in males. Streptococcus faecalis was isolated only from males, and irrespective of chemotherapy. Infections with Staph epidermidis resembled the coliform ones, especially in the nature and severity of symptoms and in the degree of pyuria. Although E. coli and Proteus sp. were more predominant in our patients a wider range of resistant bacteria was involved. This development of resistance to antibacterial agents may be due to the frequent prescription of these agents by the general practitioners in public health clinics, dispensing of antibiotics by private pharmacies to the general public without medical prescriptions, and the misusage of these antibiotics by the general population.