CHARACTERIZATION OF MICROBIOME INCIDENCE AND ANTIBACTERIAL RESISTANCE PROFILES IN URINARY TRACT INFECTED PATIENTS

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) represent one of the most common bacterial infections worldwide and are increasingly complicated by the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) uropathogens. The present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the incidence, microbial diversity, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of uropathogens isolated from clinically diagnosed UTI patients belonging to different high-risk groups. A total of 385 clean-catch midstream urine samples were collected and processed using standard microbiological procedures. Samples were cultured on Mac Conkey agar and Blood agar, yielding 770 primary culture plates. Based on significant bacteriuria (105 CFU/mL), 121 morphologically distinct bacterial isolates were recovered and subjected to detailed cultural, biochemical, molecular, and antibiotic susceptibility analyses. Cultural and morphological characterization revealed a clear predominance of Gram-negative rods, with lactose-fermenting and non-fermenting bacteria widely distributed. Biochemical profiling identified major uropathogens including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis.