ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF MICROORGANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINE (ATM) IN MICHAEL OKPARA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, UMUDIKE (MOUAU) AND ITS ENVIRONS

ABSTRACT

The automated Teller Machine (ATM) has been an important device in the banking sector and other financial institutions. The keyboards and screens of these devices (ATMs) that were situated in the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) and its environs were examined  in order to find out their microbial load potential, in order to find out whether they were contaminated with pathogenic or non-pathogenic microorganisms.  Swab sticks soaked with normal sterile saline were used to collect specimens from these devices,  especially those surfaces that people normally touch their hands during transactions – keypads and screens.  The Swab sticks were inoculated using the streak technique methods.  The results reveal that these machines that serve as cash dispensing device can be a potential disease dispensing machines as bacterial isolates of the number of samples analysied revealed microorganisms such as Staphylococcus spp is about 82.5% (33), Bacillus spp 62.5% (25), Escherichia spp, 22.5% (9) Streptococcus spp 15% (6) were found on the keyboards while fungal isolates of the samples analyzed includes microbes such as Rhizopus spp with about 47.5% (19), Aspergillus spp, 22.5% (9) and Penicillin spp, 20% (8) were found on the keypads.  These results give the impression that ATMs could be a potential ‘pathogen city’.  Therefore, adequate personal hygiene and regular routine cleaning of these machines by the bank’s authorities is recommended.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page i

Certification ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgements iv

Table of Contents v

List of Tables vii

Abstract  viii

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 ATM Means of Transmission 2

1.2 Effects of Hygienic Conditions on Surfaces 3

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW 4

2.1 Automated Teller Machine (ATM) 4

2.2 History of ATM 4

2.3 Aims and Objectives 5

2.4 Microorganisms associated with the use of ATMs 6

CHAPTER THREE

MATERIALS AND METHODS 9

3.1 Analysis Design 9

3.2 Collection of Samples 9

3.3 Processing of Samples 9

3.4 Equipment/Instrument Used 10

3.5 Isolation of Microorganism 10

3.6 Inoculation of Media 11

3.7 Characterization and Identification 11

3.8 Characterization of Bacterial Isolates 12

3.9 Identification of Bacteria Isolates 16

3.10 Determination of Occurrence 16

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS 17

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

5.1 Discussion 26

5.2 Summary 27

5.3 Conclusion 28

5.4 Recommendation 28

References 30

LIST OF TABLES

Table  Title Page

 4.1 Morphological and biochemical characteristics of bacterial isolates 18

4.2:  Morphological characteristics of fungi isolates 19

4.3:  Percentage of occurrence of bacterial isolates from ATM Keyboards - 20

4.4:  Percentage of occurrence of bacterial isolates from ATM’s screens 21

4.5:   Percentage of occurrence of Fungi isolates from ATM’s keyboards 22

4.6:  Percentage of occurrence of fungi isolates from screens 23

4.7:  Percentage of occurrence of microbial contamination of ATM’s surfaces 24

CHAPTER ONE

1.0   INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

Automated Teller Machine (ATM) is a computerized telecommunication device which makes banking more easier today.  It is a means by which a customer of a financial institution (bank) perform financial transactions without the need of a cashier, human clerk or bank teller.  By using the ATM, all that a person need to do is slot in the card and perform some computer work on the keyboard and money or cash will come out on its own.

ATMs are known by various other names including ATM machine, automated banking machine, cash dispenser, and various regional variants derived from trademarks on ATM systems held by particular banks.  The ATM is likely to be contaminated with many different kinds of microorganisms both pathogenic and non-pathogenic due to their vast usage by many people in a day especially in an overcrowded  environment (Marbel et al., 2014).

Atmospheric pollution is one of the most pressing problems of our age.  This pollution has now reached an alarming rate and it posses a potential threat to health and well-being of the population.  The increased risk frequency has risen in spreading the pathogenicity from atmosphere where aerosols play a role in adhesion towards the surfaces (Hood and Zottel, 1997).

The reservoir of any organism, which may be animate or inanimate objects,  in the epidemiology of any infection is very important (Daniel et al, 2002).  The pathogens live and or multiply in the reservoir on which their survival depends, pathogens live on formite.  Many epidemiological studies have shown that many contaminated surfaces played a major role in the spread of infectious diseases (Hendley et al, 1997).  Most people do not realize that microbes are found on many common objects outdoors their offices, and even in their homes.  Such objects include the ATM keyboards.  Dr. Richard Hasting, the Microbiologist for Biocote, a built-in antibacterial produce coating said, “we were surprised by our results because the ATM machines were shown to be heavily contaminated with bacteria; to the same level as nearby public lavatories”,  besides the ATM machines, even the public telephones are also a heavy source of contaminations and are considered to be the biggest threat.

1.2 Aims and Objectives

The aim of this project is:

- To determine the microorganisms associated with the use of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in and around Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike and its environs.

- To isolate, characterize and identity the microorganisms involved.

- To examine whether microorganisms isolated were pathogenic or non-pathogenic.

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