Isolation and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Pathogenic Bacteria from Toilet Door Handles of Enugu State University of Science and Technology

As people come in contact with surfaces and objects such as door handles, mobile phones, pens, desks, keyboards, office furniture and toilet door handles, often touched with hands, there is possibility of picking up microbes deposited on them. The toilet and offices door handles are in contact more frequently with their users and visitors, especially public toilets and offices. The hazards associated with toilet facilities office furniture and other fomites had been established but less attention had been directed to toilets and offices door handles as inanimate objects which could harbour and transmit infectious agents. The aim of this study was to isolate, identify and evaluate the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of bacterial contaminants from toilet door handles in Michael Okpara University of agriculture, Umudike. A total of seventy (70) toilet door handles randomly scattered within the university campus of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) were swabbed and analysed for bacterial contamination. Samples collected were cultured and incubated at 37oC for 24 hrs. Isolation and identification of bacterial pathogens was done by standard microbiological procedures. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was done by disc diffusion technique. A total of forty-seven (47) bacteria were isolated in this study, they are; Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus aureus 15 (57.7%), Escherichia coli 14(66.8%), Bacillus spp, 7 (26.9), Klebsiella spp 4(19.0%), Proteus spp 2(9.5%), Streptococcus spp. 2(7.7%), Staphylococcus aureus 2 (7.7%), Pseudomonas spp. 1(4.8%). Ofloxacin, Pefloxacin, Ceftriaxone, Ciproflox and Levofloxacin exhibited encouraging results. Bacterial pathogens showed the most resistance to Imipenem, Ceporex, Septrin, Nalidixic acid and Streptomycin. The spread of microorganism and prevention of infection from door handles can be minimized by thorough hand washing, daily washing of the door handles and also the use of the door handles made of a heavy metal such as silver or copper to reduce the microbial load.