Abstract

An individual may harbour other asymptomatic infections different from the presumptively diagnosed pathogen. Infection, pregnancy or inadequate antibiotic intakes tend to increase human susceptibility to opportunistic bacteria. For this reason, this present study was designed to identify via cultivation and isolation, Citrobacter and Listeria species (spp.) in pregnant HIV-positive female outpatients of Nigeria Air Force Hospital in Konjo area of Makurdi and evaluate their antibiogram. Eighty-two (82) urine samples obtained from these outpatients, who were on antibiotic therapy, were cultured on nutrient, Cysteine lactose electrolyte deficient and eosin methylene blue agar to isolate Citrobacter and Listeria spp. Our results show that in both categories of females, the occurrence of Citrobacter spp. was more than that of Listeria species. Distinctively, pregnant women harboured more of both pathogens than nonpregnant females with the former having more (66.7%) of Citrobacter than Listeria species (33.3%). In the two age groups, positive cultures of Citrobacter spp. were higher than those of Listeria spp. However, both infections were higher (38.7%) in young adults that were between 18 and 30 years than in older adults (27.5%) that were above 50 years of age. In the antibiogram studies, Citrobacter spp. were resistant to all the tested antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim, erythromycin, pefloxacin, cefalexin, amoxicillin, ampicillin, augmentin, ofloxacin, spiramycin) while Listeria spp. were only susceptible to pefloxacin (13mm) and cefalexin (15mm) and antibiotic-not-susceptible to all othes. From the fore-going, since Citrobacter species are not susceptible to these commonly used antibiotics, it is advisable to carry out their proper culture and sensitivity to antibiotics before the commencement of any antibiotic medication especially in pregnant women or if on empiric therapeutic use, allow for a change in the choice of antibiotics.