ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY PROFILES OF BIOFILM-FORMING BACTERIAL ISOLATES FROM CURRENCY NOTES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The health hazards associated with the handling of contaminated money have been attributed to the ability of contaminated money to act as a vehicle by which pathogens can be transmitted among human beings as well as the capacity of the associated organisms to form biofilm. The consequences of biofilm formation are increased rate of mortality and morbidity, increased cost of treatment and prolonged hospital stay, among others. This study, therefore, aimed at evaluating the bacterial isolates from contaminated money for their ability to form biofilm and determining the susceptibility profiles to selected antibiotics

A total of 100 pieces Nigerian currency notes were aseptically withdrawn from the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) of five different banks located within Obafemi Awolowo University campus. The bacteria associated with their surfaces were isolated and characterized using conventional biochemical tests. The ability of the isolated bacteria to form biofilm was determined using the Congo red agar (CRA) method. The susceptibilities of the CRA-positive bacterial isolates to selected antibiotics were determined using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method.

Result revealed the presence of Bacillus flexus (89.7%), Bacilllus subtilis (2.8%), Staphylococcus aureus (5.6%) and Staphylococcus hyicus (1.9%) of one hundred and seven (107) total isolated bacteria. All fifty (50) CRA-positive isolates were susceptible to gentamicin and resistant to penicillin G. However, 58 and 88 percent resistance were observed for fosfomycin and meropenem antibiotics, respectively.

The study concluded that currency notes can be a source of pathogenic bacteria capable of causing infections and resistant to many antibiotics aside their capacity to form biofilms.