ISOLATION AND SCEPTIBILITY OF PATHOGENIC BACTERIA FROM TOILET DOOR HANDLES AND SEATERS FROM SELECTED FEMALE HOSTELS IN ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, AGBANI.

ABSTRACT As people come in contact with surfaces and objects such as door handles, mobile phones, pens, desks, keyboards, office furnitures, toilet door handles and seaters, often touched with hands, there is possibility of picking up microbes deposited on them. The toilet and offices door handles and seaters 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 and seaters 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 and seaters from selected Female Hostels in ESUT, Agbani. A total of twenty (20) toilet door handles and seaters randomly selected within the selected Female Hostels in ESUT, Agbani were swabbed and analysed for bacterial contamination. Samples collected were cultured and incubated a t37oC for 24hrs. Isolation and identification of bacterial pathogens was done by standard microbiological procedures. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was done by disc diffusion technique. A total of fourteen (14) bacteria were isolated in this study, they are ;Staphylococcus aureus 8 (61.8%), Escherichia coli 3 (18.9%), Klebsiella spp 2 (15.3%), Pseudomonas spp.1 (4.0%). For Staphylococcus aureus, Ciprofloxacin exhibited encouraging results (highly sensitive). Bacterial pathogens were moderately sensitivity to Gentamycin, Perfloxacin and low sensitive to Roxithromycin. While Amoxicillin, Sulfamethoxazole, Streptomycin, Zithromax, Erythromycin and Ampicillin are resistant. For Klebsiella spp, pseudomonas spp and Escherichia coli Levofloxacin exhibited encouraging results (highly sensitive). Bacterial pathogens were low sensitive to Pefloxacin and Spiramycin. While Amoxicillin, Ciprofloxacin, Gentamycin, ofloxacin, Azithromycin, Augumentin and Ampicillin are resistant. The spread of microorganism and prevention of infection from door handles and seaters can be minimized by thorough hand washing, daily washing of the door handles and seaters and also the use of the door handles and seaters made