A Kareem Rhumaid - Department of Technical Medical Laboratories, Institute of Medical Technology Al-Mansour, Middle Technical University, Baghdad, Iraq
J Alak Mahdi Al-Buhilal - Department of Technical Medical Laboratories, Institute of Medical Technology Al-Mansour, Middle Technical University, Baghdad, Iraq
N. K. F AL-Rubaey - Department of Microbiology, Hammurabi College of Medicine, University of Babylon, Babylon, Iraq
K Yassen AL-Zamily - Department of Medical Laboratories Techniques, Kut Technical Institute, Middle Technical University, Baghdad, Iraq

Ocular infection is a significant public health issue in many countries and is a leading cause of morbidity and blindness worldwide. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of bacterial isolates, and their role in patients with external ocular infections, according to age, sex, and residence in rural and urban areas. In addition, investigate the antibiotic sensitivity and resistance patterns commonly used for treating patients suffering from external ocular infections in Babylon Governorate, Iraq. Two hundred patients with clinical suspicion of external ocular infections, ranging in age from ۲۰ to ۶۸ years old and from both sexes, participated in this study. The eye swabs were collected and cultured to distinguish between bacterial and viral isolates. About ۱۰۵ isolates (۵۲.۵%) were found to be positive bacterial cultures and taken as a study sample, whereas ۹۵ (۴۷.۵%) negative bacterial cultures were excluded. The results revealed that ocular infections most frequently occur in the age groups between ۲۰-۴۹years, and most patients were males ۶۵ (۶۱.۹%). The most common eye infection was conjunctivitis, which affected ۴۵.۷% of patients. This was followed by blepharitis, which affected ۲۱.۹% of patients; blepharoconjunctivitis, which affected ۱۴.۳% of patients; dacryocystitis, which affected ۱۲.۴% of patients; and keratitis, which affected ۵.۷% of patients. Also, the results indicated that the most common bacteria implicated in ocular infections are Staphylococcus aureus (۳۷.۱%), followed by Coagulase negative Staphylococci (CoNS) (۲۶.۷%), Haemophilusinfluenzae (۲۱.۹%), Streptococcuspneumoniae (۶.۷%), Klebsiella pneumonia (۳.۸%), Streptococcus pyogenes (۱.۹%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (۱.۹%). Furthermore, some antibiotics were tested for these pathogenic bacterial isolates to show their effects against these bacteria. It was found that most bacterial isolates were resistant to Ampicillin, Penicillin, and Tetracycline, whereas they were susceptible to Ciprofloxacin, Gentamycinand Chloramphenicol.

Conjunctivitis, Blepharitis, Bacteria, Multidrug Resistance