PREVALENCE OF PATHOGENIC BACTERIAL ON ELEMENTRY CLASSROOM SURFACES AND THEIR ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE.

INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Microorganisms are living things ordinarily too small to be seen without magnification, in terms of numbers and range of distribution, microbes are the dominant organisms on earth (Kathleen and Arthur, 2002). A large and diverse group of microscopic organisms that exist as single cell or cell clusters, it also includes viruses, which are microscopic but not cellular (Jawetz et al., 2007). Prescott et al., (1999) emphasized that we live in the age of bacteria; they were the first living organism and probably constitute the largest of the earth’s biomass. Microbes can be found nearly everywhere, from in the deep in the earth’s crust, to the polar ice and oceans, to the bodies of plants and animals. Being mostly invisible, the actions of microorganisms are usually not as obvious or familiar as those of larger plants and animals (Kathleen and Arthur, 2002). The human body harbours several species of bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. The anatomic sites where bacteria are usually discovered include the skin (Staphylococci and Bacteroides), Oropharynx (Streptococci, Anaerobes), large intestine (Enteric bacilli) and Vagina (Lactobacilli), (Beaugerie and Petit, 2004). These microorganisms colonizes part of the body without causing infection, these are called Normal Body Flora, but can cause infection when found in another site, for example, culture of staphylococcus from a blood sample may represent skin contamination at the time of phlebotomy, the flora of gastrointestinal tract which are the enterobacterieacea which are passed out through excreta, is a serious source and reservoirs from which they are transferred to the susceptible host who then becomes possible source of infection, hence making the control of the infection easy. (Frances and Zinaro, 2010). 10 Daily interaction of people contributes to spreading of disease but a major source and spread of community acquire infections are fomites (Eiref et al., 2012; Li, et al., 2009). Such fomites include door handles, showers, toilets seats and faucets, sinks, lockers, chairs and tables, especially those found in schools, public offices, hospitals, hotels, restaurants and restrooms (Bonne and Gerba, 2010; Boone and Gerba, 2007). Microbes live as transient contaminants in fomites or hands where they constitute a major health hazards as sources of community acquired infections. The increasing frequency of epidemic outbreaks of certain disease and its rate become a major public health anxiety (Doring, et al., 1996. Bright, et al., 2010). Public toilets are the worst place to get infected as the total number of people using these places is more and variety of bacteria is deposited on the door handles. Rest rooms are contaminated with microbes from human source such as saliva, skin, urine and feces. Many infected infants shed high concentration of bacteria in their feces and these readily transmit it through improperly washed hands (Prescott, et al., 2005). Public toilets have large interchange of users who deposit on the door handles their own microbial flora and the other organisms that they have picked elsewhere (Bright, et al., 2010. Lindberg et al., 2004). People are in danger from the use of public toilets when the microbes enter the body through hand to mouth contact or hand to food contact. People cannot avoid the use of public restrooms to avert major health hazards. Some of the illness that result from the usage of public toilets include diarrhea, food borne illness, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) (Aiello, et al., 2004). On the other hand, many people wash their hands only with water without detergents and some fail to wash their hands after using the public toilets. Studies have identified surfaces in kitchens and restrooms as being hot spots of bacterial contamination. These studies are of obvious importance in 11 preventing the spread of human disease because several pathogenic bacteria are known to survive on surfaces for extended periods of time (Moro, et al., 2986. Mayon – white, et al., 1988).