Browsing by Author "Akinola OT"

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    Occurrence, antibiotic susceptibility and resistance genes among Staphylococcus aureus isolated from keypads of automated teller machines (ATM) in a private university, Nigeria
    (2022) Akinola OT; Okedigba I; Elutade OO
    Environmental surfaces and objects associated with dermal contact by multiple users are suspects of being reservoirs of microorganisms; the ATM is likely to be one of such surfaces. Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic organism and causes infection. S. aureus is a major public health interest because of its antibiotic resistance attributes. Considering this fact, a study on the occurrence, susceptibility pattern, and resistant genes among S. aureus isolates from ATM keypads of three different banks located in a private university in Nigeria, was carried out. A total of 56 swabbed samples were collected from seven ATM keypads belonging to the three different banks, and cultured on Mannitol Salt Agar for the isolation of Staphylococcus aureus. Using disk diffusion technique, 0.5 McFarland of each isolate was screened for antibiotic susceptibility, on Mueller-Hinton agar. Also, six of the isolates were screened for genotypic characterization and the detection of β-lactam (blaZ) and macrolide (ermB) resistance genes. Out of 56 isolates obtained, 30 (54%) were phenotypically identified as Staphylococcus aureus using the standard biochemical test. The isolates were 100% resistant to augmentin, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cloxacillin and cefuroxime but were susceptible to gentamycin and ofloxacin. On the molecular level, four out of the six randomly selected isolates showed amplified base pair product for S. aureus, blaZ gene as well as the absence of the gene encoding ermB. The present result has shown the potential contamination of ATM keyboards with Staphylococcus aureus and the ATM keypads can also serve as prospective platforms for cross-contamination with antibiotic-resistant strains especially when frequently used by clients of affiliated financial institutions. Therefore, this implies that the hygiene practice of handwashing with soap and water after ATM usage should be further reinforced to reduce the level of contamination and spread of this pathogen.