Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a bacterium that can asymptomatically colonize a woman’s vagina and up to 31% of pregnant women are colonized worldwide. Furthermore, vaginal colonization with E. coli is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth and stillbirth. It is also associated with neonatal sepsis or meningitis when transmitted to the foetus through amniotic fluid or to the neonate during delivery. To date in Namibia data on the colonization and the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of E. coli in pregnant women is sparse. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of E. coli, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and genetic based resistance of the isolates from pregnant women at 35 weeks of gestation and above, who attended antenatal screening at Eenhana, Okongo, Onandjokwe state hospitals.
