Isolation and Molecular Detection of Bacteria from the Urinary Tract of Pregnant Women Attending Health Centres in Imo State, Nigeria Using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

Abstract

Urinary tract infection is one of the most prevalent bacterial infections in pregnant women and can be a serious problem for mother and foetus. Therefore, early and accurate diagnosis of the causative bacterial infections is important for optimal management. The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify bacterial pathogens from the urinary tract of pregnant women attending health clinics in Imo State, Nigeria, using traditional microbiological methods and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based detection. A cross-sectional study design was employed and midstream urine samples were obtained from pregnant women attending prenatal clinics in selected health centres in Imo State. Samples were cultivated on appropriate bacteriological media for isolation and initial identification. Confirmed isolates were subjected to DNA extraction and PCR amplification with species-specific primers for the bacterial pathogens. The most frequently isolated species were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PCR detection was more sensitive and more specific than the standard culture techniques. The study emphasises the utility of PCR based detection for rapid and accurate identification of urinary tract infections in pregnant women. Identification of uropathogens early will improve treatment outcomes and prevent complications of UTIs in pregnancy.

Keywords: Urinary Tract Infection; Pregnancy; Molecular Identification; Uropathogens; PCR; Nigeria

Citation

Treasure N-O, Chibueze NM, Nwanjo S.O, Chinemerem OM, Johnkennedy N. Isolation and Molecular Detection of Bacteria from the Urinary Tract of Pregnant Women Attending Health Centres in Imo State, Nigeria Using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). WebLog J Bacteriol. wjbct.2026.g1504. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21739173