Investigating the Prevalence of Multidrug Resistance Bacteria on Office Desks in Uniben

ABSTRACT
The contamination of office desks by bacteria pose risk to public health especially the office workers if the bacteria happens to be pathogenic. This study was aimed at assessing the microbial contamination of office desks in University of Benin, Benin City. The bacterial isolates were characterized and identified using morphological and biochemical methods. The percentage distribution and frequency of the isolates were evaluated using statistical method. The result obtained showed the bacterial count ranging from 0.95x104±4.0 cfu/m2 to 6.75x104±3.53 cfu/m2. In this study, bacteria population was more in desk 5 than any other desk and this could be attributed to population of humans and human activities as at the time of sampling. Using the standard microbiological methods, the bacteria isolates obtained were Bacillus sp, Streptococcus sp, Staphylococcus sp, and Enterobacter sp. The isolates obtained in this study were susceptible to only gentamycin and ciprofloxacin. The resistant index ranged from 0.37-0.5 as against the WHO permissible limit of 0.2. Streptococcus species, especially Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus pneumoniae, are often transmitted through respiratory droplets and can contaminate desks through coughs or sneezes. The presence of multiple antibiotic-resistant (MAR) bacteria such as Bacillus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Enterobacter on office desks underscores the hidden risks associated with microbial contamination in workplace environments.