The Effect of Honey on Bacteria Isolated from Urinary Tract Infections among Patients Attending Ruhengeri Referral Hospital

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) occur when bacteria enter the urethra from the skin or rectum and infect the bladder, causing symptoms. UTIs are becoming increasingly multidrug-resistant, with some drugs no longer effective in treatment. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), honey has been shown to have high osmotic pressure and high acidity that prevent the multiplication of bacteria. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of honey on bacteria isolated from urine samples collected from patients with UTI’s attending Ruhengeri Referral Hospital. Methodology: Urine samples were collected in sterile containers at Ruhengeri Referral Hospital and transported to the microbiology laboratory at the Ruhengeri Institute of Higher Education (INES Ruhengeri). Two types of honey, raw and processed were used as antimicrobial agents on bacteria isolated from UTIs. Various methods were used to isolate and identify bacterial isolates, including culture on solid medium, gram staining, and biochemical tests. Results: The most commonly isolated bacterium was S. aureus (33.3%) which is in the second group of bacteria susceptible to honey, followed by P. aeruginosa (13.8%) and CoNS (13.8%). E. coli, K. pneumonia, and Streptococcus spp. each accounted for 11.2%. The former and the latter were the most susceptible bacteria to natural honey honey (mIZ = 36 ±2.83; ±4.24 mm, respectively), while E. aerogenes was the least isolated bacterium at 5.5% and the least susceptible to honey. Conclusion: Honey was showed to exhibit an antimicrobial effect against all bacteria isolated from the UTI, suggesting natural honey as a remedy in controlling urinary tract bacterial infection. Further studies are needed to evaluate its capacity compared to classical antibiotics currently used to treat bacteria in UTIs. The practical way to use honey to get targeted area is also an interested point that need to be investigated. Keywords: Urinary tract infection; honey; bacteria.