Objective: The present study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and to estimate the prevalence of anaerobic organism in vaginal discharge of woman suffering from bacterial vaginosis.

Materials and Methods: High vaginal swabs taken from 112 female patients complaining of abnormal vaginal discharge. BV was diagnosed by clinical composite criteria and by Gram's staining. Anaerobes were isolated and identified from the discharge.

Results: Out of 112 cases, 77 (68.75%) cases was diagnosed BV by using clinical composite criteria and 65 cases (58.04%) was diagnosed by Gram's staining. Anaerobic culture isolation of vaginal swab revealed that out of 112 cases 18 (16.07%) samples did not yields anaerobic growth, 94 cases (83.92%) were culture positive for anaerobes. Bacteroides were significantly raised in BV as compared with NBV (Non-bacterial vaginosis).

Conclusion: Anaerobic bacteria are important pathogens in the causation of bacterial vaginosis along with other aerobic organisms. Bacteroides and peptostreptococci are significantly raised in BV.

Keywords: Anaerobes, bacterial vaginosis, Gram's stain.

1. Aggarwal A, Devi P, Jain R. Anaerobes in bacterial vaginosis. Indian J Med Microbial 2003;21:124-6.
2. Mathew R, Kalyani J, Bibi R, Mallika M. Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis in antenatal women. Indian J Pathol Microbiol 2001;44:113-6.
3. Phiefer TA, Forsyth PS, Durfee MA, Pollock HM, Holmes KK. Non specific vaginitis: Role of Haemophilus vaginalis and treatment with metronidazole. N Engl J Med 1978;298:1429-34.
4. Nugent RP, Krohn MA, Hillier SL. Reliability of diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis is improved by standardized method of gram stain interpretation. J Clin Microbiol 1991;29:297-1.
5. Brown R, Collee JG, Parton IR, Bacteroides, Fusobacterium and other gram negative anaerobic rods; Anaerobic cocci; identification of anaerobes. In: Collee JG, Fraser AG, Marimon BP, Simmons A, editors. Mackie of McCa-rteney Practical medical Microbiology. 14^th New York: Churchill Living Stone Inc; 1996. p. 501-20.
6. Set R, Sequeria L, Angadi SA, Koppikar GV. Prevalence of anaerobic bacteria in pyogenic infections. Indian J Med Micribiol 1997;15:121-2.
7. Biswas MK. Bacterial vaginosis. Clin Obstet Gynecol 1993;36:166-76.
8. Rosenstein IJ, Morgan DJ, Sheehan M, Lamont RI, Taylor- Robinson D. Bacterial vaginosis in pregancy: Distribution of bacterial species in different gram stain Categories of vaginal flora. J Med Microbiol 1996;45:120-6.
9. Black well A, Phillips I. Anaerobic vaginosis. In: Recent advances in Infection Reeves DS, Geddes AM, editors. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 1989. p. 171-87.
10. Spiegel CA. Bacterial vaginosis. Clin Microbial Rev 1991;4:485-502.
11. Easrnon CS, Hay PE, Ison CA. Bacterical vaginosis: A diagnostic approach. Genitourin Med 1992;68:134-8.
12. Levison ME, Trestman I, Quanch R, Sladowski C, Floro CN. Quantitative bacteriology of vaginal flora in vaginitis. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1979;133:139-44.
13. Krohn MA, Hiller SL, Eschenbach DA. Comparison of methods for diagnosing bacterial vaginosis among pregant women. J Clin Microbiol 1989;27:1266-71.

Dr Ratnesh Kumar

Specialist Medical Officer, Referral Hospital, Naubatpur, Patna, India