Assessment of Contamination of Currency Banknotes Obtained from Restaurants in Nablus City with Gram-Negative Bacteria ( Medical Laboratory Science)

Supervisor:

Dr. Alaeddin  Abuzant

Dr. Buthayna Alnaalwa

Abstract:

Introduction:

Most humans have their hands colonized withStaphylococcus epidermidis, and sometimes withStaphylococcus aureus, which is an important opportunistic human pathogen.  In addition, human hands can be also contaminated with other opportunistic and primary microbial pathogens during our daily activities.

Currency banknotes and coins are handles and exchanged among people in a daily basis of our lives.   Thus, while being handled, they can be easily become contaminated with microbes and can serve as a vehicle for the transmission of microbial pathogens among people.  Accordingly, currency banknotes can serve as a vehicle for the transmission of bacterial pathogens among people.

Main aims of the study:

The main aims of this study were to assess contamination of currency banknotes obtained from different restaurants in Nablus city with Gram-negative bacilli as well as to examine the sensitivity of the  obtained Gram-negative for certain antibiotics.

Results:

The results of this study have shown that that about 20% of currency banknotes of the 20 NIS denominations and about 10% of currency banknotes of both the 50 and the 100 NIS denominations were contaminated with Gram- negative bacteria. These results agree with previous studies that showed that currency banknotes of lower denominations are often have higher level of microbial contamination in comparison currency banknotes of higher denominations.

About 20 Gram-negative isolates were obtained.  Among which, 12 of them of them were found to belong to the familyEnterobacteriaceaesuch asCitrobacter spp,Enterobacter sppKlebsiella ozaenae, Escherichia coli, Serratia liquefaciensandShigella boydii. With the exception ofShigella boydii, which is a primary human enteric pathogen, all other obtained species are important opportunistic pathogens that are involved in both community and hospital-acquired infections.   The other 7 isolates   were found to belong to the familyAeromonadaceaethat cancause a variety of human opportunistic infections.

An important finding of the antibiotic sensitivity testing conducted in this study was that  four of the obtained Gram-negative isolated that belong to the familyEnterobacteriaceaeexhibited intermediate or compete resistance to Cefotaxim and/or  Ceftazidime, which are extended spectrum cephalosporines, which can be as an alarming indication for the spread bacteria that resist such antibiotics in the community.