Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the major causes of morbidity and comorbidities in patients with underlying conditions, and it accounts for the majority of the reasons for hospital visit globally. Sound knowledge of factors associated with UTI may allow timely intervention that can easily bring the disease under control. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of UTI by isolating and characterizing the different bacterial etiological agents and to evaluate the factors associated with UTI. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 267, clean catch midstream urine (MSU) samples were collected aseptically and analyzed using standard microbiology methods. Data for the factors associated with UTI were obtained by use of questionnaires and standard laboratory tests for selected underlying conditions. The study revealed 86/267 (32.2%) UTI prevalence among patients attending hospitals in Bushenyi District, Uganda. Escherichia coli was the most prevalent bacterial uropathogen with 36/86 (41.9%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus 27/86 (31.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 10/86 (11.6%), Klebsiella oxytoca 6/86 (7.0%), Proteus mirabilis 3/86 (3.5%), Enterococcus faecalis 3/86 (3.5%), and Proteus vulgaris 1/86 (1.2%). This study has demonstrated that age ≤19 years, female gender, married individuals, genitourinary tract abnormalities, diabetes, hospitalization, indwelling catheter 6 days had statistically significant relationships (p<0.05) with UTI. Screening for UTI in hospitalized patients, female gender, married individuals, genitourinary tract abnormalities, indwelling catheter, and diabetics should be adopted.

Introduction. Waterborne diseases constitute a major public health burden in developing and underdeveloped countries. Consumption of contaminated water causes health risk to the public, and the situation is alarming in rural areas. The objective of this study was to assess the contamination potentials of different house water handling and storage practices in the Kirundo subcounty, Kisoro District, Uganda. Material and Methods. A cross-sectional and descriptive study in which 344 water samples were collected randomly and analysed for bacteriological contamination, total coliforms (TCs) and Escherichia coli per 100 ml, using the Most Probable Number (MPN) technique and reported in terms of CFU/100 ml. Results. The 43.2% samples from unprotected water sources had total coliforms and 34.1% had Escherichia coli. In analysed household drinking water, 25% had total coliforms and 8.7% had Escherichia coli. Most drinking water sources were found to have coliform counts above the recommended national and international guidelines. There was a statistically significant difference among water sources with respect to total coliforms and Escherichia coli (p<0.05). Conclusion. The overall results indicated that there is a strong linkage between microbiological water quality and water source sanitation; hence, the protected water source was safer than unprotected water sources. For the unprotected water sources, protection strategies as well as monitoring are recommended for this community.

Aims: To determine antibacterial activity of Ocimum suave essential oils against bacterial uropathogens. Study Design: A cross sectional and experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Six selected hospitals in Bushenyi District, Uganda between June 2012 and July 2013. Methodology: Clean catch midstream urine samples were collected and inoculated on Cystine Lysine Electrolyte Deficient (CLED) agar. The plates were incubated at 37°C for 24hrs to 48hrs. The O. suave essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation of leaves for 4hrs using a Clevenger apparatus. The oil was collected and dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate (Na₂SO₄) and kept at 4°C till further use. The antimicrobial activity of O. suave essential oils against isolates was determined by agar well method. The MIC of O. suave essential oil extract was carried out by micro-broth dilution method. Results: Of the three hundred (300) midstream urine samples collected, 67(22.33%) had significant bacterial growth. Escherichia coli is the most common isolate (61.19%, n = 41). The essential oil from O. suave showed activity against isolates of E. coli, K. pneumoniae, S. aureus, E. feacalis, M. morganii, Citrobacter species, Enterobacter species and P. aeruginosa with mean zone of inhibition (ZI) ranging from 10-22 mm. The essential oils had no inhibitory activity on Acinetobacter species. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for O. suave essential oils ranged from 0.78 to 22 µg/ml. This study showed that O. suave essential oils had MIC value of 0.78 µg/ml against S. aureus and MIC values ranging from 3 to 22 µg/ml against the other tested isolates. Conclusion: The most common uropathogen was E. coli (61.19% n = 41). O. suave essential oils exhibited antibacterial activity against majority of the uropathogens, except Acinetobacter species, mean ZI of 10-22 mm and MIC of 0.78 – 22 µg/ml.

Introduction: bacterial resistance to fluoroquinolones is on the rise globally, bacteria causing urinary tract infections (UTIs) are no exception to this fact. Judicious use of the current antibiotics by clinicians is therefore deemed necessary to combat development of resistance. This study determined fluoroquinolone resistant profiles, multiple antibiotic resistance indices (MARI), factors associated with fluoroquinolone resistance and their strength among patients attending hospitals in Bushenyi District, Uganda. Methods: this was a cross-sectional study in which a total of 86 bacterial uropathogens isolated previously by standard microbiological methods were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing using Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method. Data for factors suspected to be associated with fluoroquinolone resistant UTI were obtained by use of questionnaires. Results: the most resisted fluoroquinolone was ofloxacin with 29/83 (34.9%), followed by moxifloxacin 27/83 (32.5%), levofloxacin 24/86 (27.9%) and ciprofloxacin 23/86 (26.7%). The bacterial uropathogens that exhibited the highest frequency of fluoroquinolone resistant strains were P. mirabillswith 2/3 (66.7%) and E. faecalls with 2/3 (66.7%), followed by E. coli 19/36 (52.8%), S. aureus 13/27 (48.1%), K. oxytoca 2/6 (33.3%), K. pneumoniae 2/10 (20.0%) and P. vulgaris 0/1 (0.0%). All the bacterial uropathogens tested showed MARI of >= 0.2. Hospitalization, history of fluoroquinolones use in the last 12 months and wrong prescription of antibiotics were found to bear statistically significant relationships (p < 0.05) with fluoroquinolone resistant UTI. Conclusion: antibiotic susceptibility testing of the first generation qui nolones such as nalidixic acid in hospitalized patients, patients with history of fluoroquinolones' use in the last 12 months and wrong prescription of antibiotics should be adopted to avoid fluoroquinolone abuse. For empiric treatment of UTIs in Bushenyi District, ciprofloxacin still remains the first line of choice among the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics.

Aims: To determine the prevalence of intestinal protozoan infections and the associated risk factors in children. Study Design: A cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in four selected health facilities in Bushenyi District, Western Uganda, between June 2016 and January 2017. Methodology: A total of 200 children aged below one year to 12 years were enrolled. Stool samples were collected and analyzed according to the established standard methods. Results: Of the 200 children enrolled, 73(36.5%); CI = 0.000-0.015, had intestinal protozoan infections. The prevalence of Giardia lamblia was the highest (16%) followed by Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (13%) compared to Cryptosporidium spp (4%) and Cyclospora spp (3.5%).The highest prevalence was in the age group 1-4 years (26.8%, OR; 2.601, P = .015), mothers with no formal education (44.4%, OR; 3.240, P = .002) and those with primary level education (23.5%, OR; 1.812,P = .027) were significantly associated with intestinal protozoan infections. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of infections between the females (22.3%) and males (16.5%). Conclusion: The overall prevalence of intestinal protozoan infections was 73(36.5%), Giardia lamblia (16%) was the most prevalent intestinal protozoan infection in the study. The intestinal protozoan infections were most prevalent among children aged 1-4 years whose mothers had no formal education. Prevention strategies need to be tailored to the respective levels of education.