ABTRACT
Isolation and identification of microorganism on various denominations of the Nigerian paper money (N5, N10, N20, N50, N100, N200, N500, N1000), the money sample were collected randomly from meat sellers in Ariaria international market Aba. These currency notes were examined for possible contamination by disease-causing bacteria and fungi and hence their presence on surface could serve as a source of cross-transmission of bacteria and fungi infection to marketers and the general community. Some of the microorganisms that can be found on naira notes isolated on different medium such as Mannitol salt agar, MacConkey agar, man Rogosa-Sharpe medium, Sabouraud dextrose agar, nutrient agar, salmonella-shigella agar Blood agar with their percentage occurrence are Escherichia coli (20.5%), Salmonella spp(12.8%), Shigella spp(14.2%), Staphylococcus aureus (20.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa(5.1%) and Bacillus spp(7.0). Fungi include: Aspergillus spp(4.5%) and Rhizopus spp(3.2%).Further, the mean count of the isolates was indicated with the total heterotrophic bacteria count(THBC) ranging from ₦100(2.9´104cfu/g) to ₦20(1.3´104cfu/g),coliform count ranging from ₦5(6.2´103cfu/g) to ₦1000(3.1´103 cfu/g),staphylococci count ₦100(6.5´103cfu/g ) to count ₦500(3.2´103cfu/g).lactobacillus count ranges from ₦200(3.2´103cfu/g) to count ₦500(2.2´103cfu/g), salmonella shigella count ranges from count ₦5(5.9´103cfu/g) to count ₦20(3.1´103cfu/g) and fungi count ranges from count ₦500(9.0´102cfu/g) to count ₦1000(11´102cfu/g),their presence on such surfaces could serve as a source of cross-transmission of bacteria and fungi. The bacteria isolates is to be subjected to a broad spectrum of erythromycin, augumentin, ceftazidine, cefuroxime, gentamycin, cefixime, oflaxacin, cloxacillin, ciprofloxacin, nitrofurantiol and ceftriaxone. However, using wallets to keep money and maintaining proper hygiene while handling money is recommended for the entire population.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page
i
Certification
ii
Dedication
iii
Acknowledgements
iv
Table of Contents
v
List of Tables viii
List of figures
ix
Abstract x
CHAPTER
ONE: Introduction 1
1.1 Objective of study
4
CHAPTER
TWO: Literature review
5
2.1
The abuse of the naira note 6
2.2
Meat and its contamination 6
2.3
Characteristics of bacteria
8
CHAPTER
THREE: Materials
an method
3.1
Sample collection 20
3.2
Sterilization of materials
20
3.3
Media used and their preparation
20
3.4
Examination of currencies for
contamination by Microorganism 21
3.5
Microbiological analysis 22
3.5.1
Macroscopic Examination
22
3.5.2
Microscopic Examination
22
3.5.3
Motility test
23
3.6
Biochemical test 23
3.6.1Oxidase
24
3.6.2
Catalase test
24
3.6.3
Coagulase test
24
3.6.4
Indole test
24
3.6.5
Fermentation test
25
3.7
Antibiotic sensitivity test
25
3.8
Statistical analysis
26
CHAPTER FOUR: Results 27
CHAPTER FIVE: Discussion,
Conclusion and Recommendation 32
5.0
Discussion 32
5.1
Conclusion 36
5.3
Recommendation
36
References
38
Appendix
46
LIST OF TABLES
Table Tittle
Page
1. Mean
count of microorganism isolated on different medium(cfu/g) 28
2. Microorganisms
isolated from naira notes and their percentage occurrence 29
3. Antimicrobial
sensitivity of bacteria and there zone
of inhibition(mm) 30
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Tittle page
1. percentage distribution of microbial isolates
on naira note. 31
x
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The
assessment of the potential of Nigerian currency notes to act as environmental vehicles
for the transmission of pathogenic parasites, bacteria and fungi (Abram and
Waterman, 1972).
Money
is used as a medium for exchange for goods and services, settlement of debts
and for deferred payment in economic activities (Beg and Fisher, 1997). Paper
money was introduced into Nigeria in 1995 and since then several changes have
been made to different denominations where it can be used as legal tender.
Since
the note is transferable from person to person and country to another, it can
act as a vehicle for the transmission of these pathogens.
Contamination
of different object by pathogenic microorganisms is of public health importance
as contaminated materials can be possible sources of transmission of such
pathogens.
Items
that are passed from hand to hand are of considerable likelihood to be
contaminated by disease-causing microorganisms especially when handled with
unclean hands or kept in dirty or contaminated surroundings(Cooper,1991).
Paper
money especially in the northern environment presents a particular risk to
public health since communicable disease can be spread through contact with
fomites (Hosen et al.,2002; Xu et al., 2005: Basavuupappa and Surreshik,
2005; Ogbu and Umeke, 2007; Umeh et al., 2007).
The
environment plays a critical role in the transmission to susceptible hosts
(humans), with many environment material serving as vehicles (Anderson and May,
1991).
Paper
currency is widely exchanged for goods and services in countries world wide. It
is used
for
every type of commerce from buying milk at a local store to trafficking in sex
and drugs. All these trade is hard on currency with lower denomination notes
receiving the most handling because they are exchanged many times (Gadsby,
1998).
Although
paper currency is made to take abuse (Up to 4000 fold in each direction) in
most parts of the world including Nigeria (where paper currency is a rugged mix
of 75% cotton and 25% linen), it lasts less than a few years in circulation
(Gadsby, 1998). The average US dollar, for instance- like most currency notes
world-wide-lasts a mere 18 months (Gadsby, 1998). Paper currency also provides
a large surface area as a breeding ground for pathogens (Prodhajny, 2004).
Money
on which pathogenic microorganisms might survive represent an often overlooked
reservoir for enteric disease (Michael, 2002).
In
most parts of the developed world, there is a popular belief that the
simultaneous handling of food and money contributes to the incidence of food
related public health incidence (Food Science Australia [FSA], 2002).
Over
the last few decades, data indicating that simultaneous handling could indeed
be a cause of sporadic foodborne-illness cases have accumulated from studies of
the microbial status and survival of pathogen on coins and currency notes
in Turkey (Gokar and Oktay, 1992); The United
States (Dow Jones News, 1998; Jiang and Doyle, 1999; Pope et al, 2002; Australia
[FSA], 2002).
An
investigation that was reported in 1997 and that involved swabbing and
culturing from various coins and paper money collected from doctors, laboratory
staff and other employees at a New York hospital resulted in the recovery of
many pathogenic microorganisms (Dow Jones News, 1998; FSA, 2000), India (Singh et al.,
2002)), China (Xu et al., 2005).
The
possibility of currency contamination with microorganisms has also been
observed among food handlers. An assessment of the food industry in Australia
(Brady and Kelly, 2000) analysed money handled by people who were also food
handlers for the presence and level of microorganisms.
In
the study, the presence of coagulase-positive staphylococci on the money
surface was confirmed. This suggested that without hygienic intervention, human
occupational activities especially those involving simultaneous money handling,
could introduce the risk of cross-contamination to foods (FSA, 2000). With a
number of infectious intestinal diseases, a low close of the infectious agent
is capable of causing illness, therefore, failure of service workers to
adequately sanitize hands or use of food-handling tools (tongs, spoons,
utensils or bakery/serving papers) between the handling of money and the
serving food could put food service patrons at risk (Michaels, 2002).
Oddly,
publications regarding the degree to which paper money is contaminated with
bacteria are few and far between, as the authors found when they conducted a
Medline search in December 2005 (Abrams and Waterman, 1972; El-Dars and Hassan,
2005; Goktas and Oktay, 1992; Jiang and Doyle, 1999; Khin et aI., 1989; Michaels, 2002; Pope et al., 2002; Singh et al.,
2002; Xu et al., 2005). Furthermore, the search found no documented study of
the parasitological status of currency notes (as of December 2005). Scientific
information on the contamination of money by microbial agents is also lacking
in most developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. This
dearth of information may have contributed to the absence of public health
policies or legislation on currency usage, handling, and circulation in many
parts of Africa Although the studies done in the United States and Australia
have had no major impact on policies or legislation on currency handling and
circulation in those countries, they have fostered a higher level of public
awareness about the potential for currency contamination by microorganisms (Dow
Jones News, 1998; FSA, 2000). In Nigeria, a whole division of the Department of
Treasury deals with what is termed "mutilated currency," and the
department Web site boasts many examples of beleaguered, burned, buried,
water-damaged money (Siddique, 2003).
An
aspect of food service that frequently causes comment, particularly among
enlightened consumers, is the way a meat sellers takes money for the purchase,
returns change to the customer, with hands contaminated with blood and animal
wastes. Pathogens that have been observed to be contaminates of naira note are
mainly of faecal origin (Awodi et al., 2000).
The study reported here, therefore, was
designed to add to the limited body of literature on microbial contamination of
currency notes and to address growing community concerns about the risks
associated with microbial contamination and handling of money worldwide.
1.1
Objective of the study
•
To find out pathogenic organisms on naira notes (currency)
•
To investigate the level of contaminations of the naira notes
•
To enlighten the entire populace of the inherent risk that naira notes carry by being
a universal medium for the transfer of harmful pathogenic organism
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