Prevalence of Streptococcus agalactiae in Urinary Tract Infections of Pregnant Women

Ahdiyeh  Saghabashi; Khadijeh Rostami; Maryam  Allameh; Mansoor Khaledi; Hamed Afkhami; Javad Fathi; Rahmatullah Parvizi; Mohammad Esmkhani; Aram Asareh Zadegan Dezfuli; Shamin Shahriary; Mohamad Mahjoor

doi:10.18502/jmb.v12i1.15017

Ahdiyeh Saghabashi Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran
Khadijeh Rostami Departman of Microbiology, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Islamic Azad University Lahijan Branch, Lahijan, Iran.
Maryam Allameh Department of Physiology, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qom, Iran.
Mansoor Khaledi Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
Hamed Afkhami Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
Javad Fathi Department of Bacteriology and Virology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Rahmatullah Parvizi Department of Microbiology, Islamic Azad University, Qom Azad University Branch, Qom, Iran.
Mohammad Esmkhani Department of Biochemistry, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan University, Zanjan, Iran.
Aram Asareh Zadegan Dezfuli Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Shamin Shahriary Department of Microbiology, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran.
Mohamad Mahjoor Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jmb.v12i1.15017

Keywords: Antibiotic Resistance, Streptococcus agalactiae, Pregnancy, Urinary Tract Infection.

Abstract

Background: Urinary tract infection is the most common bacterial infection in children and adults, especially females. Among urinary tract infection caused by bacteria, Streptococcus agalactiae can cause periodic, temporary, or persistent infection in women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of S. agalactiae isolated from urine samples in pregnant women referred to Qom hospitals, Iran.

Methods: In this descriptive study, 1264 pregnant women suspected for urinary tract infection were assessed. Midstream urine specimens collected from pregnant individuals in Ali-ibn-AbiTaleb hospital medical laboratory were passaged on blood agar media. Streptococcus agalactiae was detected using phenotype-based tests. Then, antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted using the disc diffusion method according to CLSI protocols.

Results: Out of 1264 pregnant patients, 17.64% were diagnosed with beta-hemolytic Streptococcus, and 13.37% were diagnosed with S. agalactiae. The highest rates of antibiotic resistance were found for Clindamycin and Erythromycin. In place, the lowest resistance rate was detected for Nitrofurantoin. The prevalence of resistance to Penicillin was about 33%.

Conclusion: Regarding the results of this research, it would be better to perform urine culture tests before week 34 of pregnancy and the last weeks of pregnancy. Also, our results showed that Penicillin can be replaced by alternative antibiotics before week 34 of pregnancy to prevent further S. agalactiae antibiotic resistance.