Anaerobic and aerobic urethral flora in healthy females

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Abstract
The aerobic and anaerobic urethral flora of 5 healthy females was characterized by performing urethral and midstream urine cultures once weekly for 8 wk. Aerobic cultures were performed monthly for an additional 3 mo. Lactobacillus spp. were isolated from 52 of 57 samples, Staphylococcus epidermidis from 42 of 57, Corynebacterium spp. from 26 of 57, and .alpha.-hemolytic streptococci from 14 of 57. Two subjects had Escherichia coli serogroup O6 and group B streptococci isolated on 5 occasions, respectively. Anaerobes were isolated from 32 of 35 urethral urines (91%). Bacteroides melaninogenicus accounted for 46% of these isolates. The anaerobic urethral flora varied slightly from week to week, and a similar anaerobic flora was isolated from the introitus, fourchette and cutaneous perineum. Anaerobes were isolated from 16 of 18 healthy females who had a urethral urine sample cultured once only and B. melaninogenicus was the most frequent isolate. Of the 21 B. melaninogenicus isolates identified to subspecies, 14 were B. m. ssp. intermedius.