Microorganisms found in Urine

Microorganisms like bacteria, parasites, and yeast are not typically found in urine. So if they are detected outside their reference values, they should be investigated further.

Bacteria

Bacteria are tiny, so a high magnification is usually needed to observe them under the microscope. Bacteria are very diverse, so a bacteria culture can identify the type if they are present in a urine sample. The normal range for bacteria is 0 to 15 per high-powered field. Higher numbers of bacteria in a urine sample indicate a urinary tract infection.

Yeast

Yeast cells can be difficult to distinguish from red blood cells, although yeast cells are generally smaller. Yeast feeds on glucose, so if glucose is in the urine, there might be more yeast cells. If yeast cells are present in the urine sample, that could indicate a fungal infection or diabetes mellitus. Yeast cells might be present following antibiotic treatment.

Figure 1: E. coli bacteria under the microscope.