A study of microbial infestation of currency notes in circulation from selected handlers with specific professions in Sagamu community of Ogun State.

Abstract

Bacteria are ubiquitous and the ease of survival, adaptation and transmission of some nutritionally non-exacting species amongst the microbes had made it a force to be reckoned with. This study evaluated bacterial contaminants on selected naira denomination, officially recognized currency of transaction in circulations and determined the resistance of the isolates to conventional antibiotic in use. A total of 160 samples of currency notes 20 each of 8 existing denomination were collected from selected subjects of various professions for bacteriological examination and antibiogram determination with a view to identifying possible risk factors associated with these contaminated notes. Equal percentage of polymers to paper currency was collected, the microbial load was found to be higher in lower denominations irrespective of their polymer status. The total bacterial count per milliliter varied between 2.28x104 and 4.20x107 . The ratios of percentage distributions of isolates; Staphylococcus aureus (36.8%), Escherichia coli (31.5%), Bacillus spp (3.7%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (27.5%) and varied resistance to antibiotics used were recorded. The alarming resistance of bacterial of clinical status obtained from this study to conventional antibiotics, serves an indication of potential threat of contaminated currency notes to the public health.