Pages: (86-90 )
Abstract
Handshake is a common mode of greeting among humans, including both adults and youths. But potentially pathogenic microbial agents have been reported to be transferable through hands. There is, however, a paucity of information on the nature and resistant status of bacterial flora in palms of University students and staff in Ilishan community. Hence, this study was carried out to determine the nature and antibiotic resistant status of bacterial flora in palms of some University students and staff in Ilishan community. Fifty subjects namely, students and staff of tertiary institutions, residing in Ilishan-Remo of Ogun State, Nigeria, were recruited for this study. The surfaces of their palms were aseptically swabbed and inoculated into bijou bottles containing 0.1% peptone water, which were serially diluted ten- fold by Miles and Misra viable plate count technique. Bacterial counts were determined on nutrient agar (for total count) and MacConkey agar (for Enterobacteriaceae count) and the stock suspensions from the 0.1% were aseptically streaked on blood agar and MacConkey agar plates for isolation of bacteria while incubation was carried out aerobically at 37
for 24 hours. Identities of the isolated bacteria were confirmed by biochemical test and antimicrobial susceptibility
was done on Mueller Hinton agar. Out of the 50 subjects whose palms were screened for microflora, 46 (92.0%) of them were culture positive while 4 (8.0%) were culture negative. Bacillus subtilis recorded the highest frequency of 38.0% while Klebsiella pneumoniae recorded the lowest frequency of 2.8%. Mixed culture of Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis was highest with a frequency of 16.9%, followed by mixed growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas species (15.5%). Highest frequency of antimicrobial resistance was observed against cefuroxime (100.0%), followed by augumentin (77.5%). Antibiotic resistance profile of the isolated bacterial flora from palms of the University students and staff revealed a relatively high frequency of 38.0% multiple drug resistance with augumentin (AMC) and cefuroxime (CXM). In conclusion, this study has established that human palms serve as medium for the carriage and transfer of pathogens, including cephalosporin resistant strains.
Keywords: Effedua et al., - Incidence of Cephalosporin Resistant Bacterial Flora in Palms of Some University Students...,