ABSTRACT
Different people from different socio-economic levels and hygiene status use the Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) daily and increase the chances of hand-borne transmission of microorganisms to the machine’s surfaces. ATMs might be potential areas for pathogen accumulation and they might have a role in microbial transmission to the community. This is a cross sectional analytical study using an average of five (5) banks automated teller machines in Umudike (Access, Sterling, Zenith, UBA and Ecobank). Sterile cotton swabs soaked in physiological saline was used to take swabs from the Screens, keyboards and slits of the ATM. The swabs were dipped into a normal saline and streaked on different selective media including nutrient agar, mannitol salt agar, macConkey agar. The inoculated media were then incubated for 24-48 hours. Standard biochemical tests were used to confirm the bacterial isolates. The bacteria identified were Bacillus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Shigella, Pseudomonas, E.coli and Proteus with colony features, spore, gram staining, flagella, motility, biochemical tests characteristics of each. Staphylococcus spp has yellow colonies, gram positive, non spore-forming, absence of flagella, non motile, catalase positive, oxidase negative, coagulase positive and indole negative; Salmonella spp has black colonies, gram negative, non spore-forming, no flagella, non motile, catalase positive, oxidase negative, coagulase negative and indole negative; Streptococcus spp has small white grey colonies, gram positive, non spore-forming, no flagella, non motile, catalase negative, oxidase negative, coagulase negative and indole positive; Shigella spp has creamy mucoid colonies, gram positive oxidase negative, coagulase negative and indole negative; Bacillus is comma-shaped and sticky, gram positive, spore-forming, has flagella, motile, catalase positive, oxidase positive, coagulase negative and indole negative; Pseudomonas has mucoid colonies, gram negative, non spore-forming, has flagella, motile, catalase positive, oxidase negative, coagulase positive, and indole negative; E. coli has pink pigment, gram negative, non spore-forming, has flagella, motile, catalase positive, oxidase negative, coagulase negative and indole positive; Proteus has gray white colonies, gram negative, non spore-forming has flagella, motile, catalase positive, oxidase negative, coagulase negative and indole negative. While the fungi identified were Yeast, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Fusarium with microscopic features and colony features. Bacteria were dominant on the keypad because they are attached to the hands and transferred mainly by hands on the keypad. Fungi were dominant on screen because they are predominance on the air. Both bacteria and fungi are few on the slit. The mean bacteria occurrence was (37.5%) in the screen with an occurrence of 37.5% in each of the ATMs. The slit had bacteria occurrence of 30%. The gross mean fungi occurrence were 60% on screens, 56% on the buttons and 16% on the slit openings.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgement v
Table of Contents vi
List of Tables ix
List of Figures x
Abstract xi
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background
to the Study 1
1.2 Aim
3
1.3 Specific
Objectives 4
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 5
2.1 The Spread of ATMs in Nigeria 5
2.1.1 ATMs in Public Places 5
2.2 ATMs as Dispensers of Diseases 6
2.3 Microbial
Colonization of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) 9
2.4 ATM Keyboard as a Route of Contamination 10
2.5 Commonly
found Bacteria on Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Surfaces 12
2.5.1 Bacillus Spp 12
2.5.2 Coagulase-negative
Staphylococcus 13
2.5.3 Staphylococcus aureus 13
2.5.4 Escherichia
coli 14
2.6 Antibiotic 14
2.6.1 Antibiotic Resistance 15
2.6.2 Classes, Mechanisms and Resistance of
Antibiotics 17
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS 18
3.1 Materials 18
3.2 Methods 18
3.2.1 Preparations (Samples and Media) 18
3.2.2 Preparation of Media 18
3.2.3
Sample Preparation 19
3.2.4 Isolation
and Determination of Microbial Flora 19
3.2.4.1 Isolation 19
3.2.4.2 Characterization of Isolates 19
3.2.4.3
Characterization of Fungi Isolate 20
3.2.4.4 Identification of Fungal Isolates 20
3.3 Characterization
and identification of Bacteria Isolates 21
3.3.1 Gram
staining 21
3.3.2 Motility 21
3.3.3 Biochemical
tests 22
3.3.4 Indole test 22
3.3.5 Oxidase
test 22
3.3.6 Coagulase
test 23
3.3.7 Spore-forming
test 23
3.3.8 Flagella
test 24
3.4
Determination of Occurrence 24
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 RESULTS 26
4.1 Bacteria Isolates from Different Parts
(Screen, Button and Slit) of the ATM
in five Banks 26
4.2 Fungi Isolates from Different Parts
(Screen, Button and Slit) of the ATM
in Five Banks 31
4.3 Occurrence
of Bacteria in Different Parts (Screen, Button and Slit) of the
ATM
in Five Banks 34
4.4 Occurrence of Fungi in Different Parts
(Screen, Button and Slit) of the
ATM in Five Banks 36
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 Discussion 38
5.2 Conclusion 40
5.3 Recommendations 40
REFERENCES 41
LIST OF TABLES
Tables Titles Pages
4.1: Characteristics of bacteria isolates
27
4.2 Characteristics of fungi
isolates 28
4.3 Occurrence of bacteria in ATM
in Umudike 29
4.4 Occurrence of Fungi in ATM in
Umudike 32
4.5: Bacteria occurrence in
different parts of ATMs in Umudike (%) 35
4.6: Occurrence of fungi in
different parts of ATMs in Umudike (%) 37
LIST OF FIGURES
Figures Titles Pages
4.1: Occurrence
of bacteria in ATM in Umudike 30
4.2: Occurrence of Fungi in ATM in
Umudike 33
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
to the Study
The
Automated Teller Machine (ATM) is an electric device for unattended outlet
banking in which a customer is enabled to complete basic banking transactions
without direct interaction with bank branch representative or Teller (Sharma
and Rathore, 2012). The machine itself is a computer with keyboard and screen
which a customer activates to gain access to an account through a telephone
networking, a host processor and a bank computed to authenticate data. The
design of the machine therefore ensures that the customer must make physical
contact with the machine to carryout transactions.
All
over the world, the ATM represent one of the most essential services opened by
the banking industry and is provided within and outside bank locations for ease
of accessibility. Ndife et al.,
(2013) observed that there has been a transition in the banking industry from
the traditional monetary instrument of paper currency and metal coins, to the
use of “plastic money” in the farm of credit and debit cards and this has made
the ATM one of the fastest means of dispensing cash globally. Truly, ATMs have
affected the economic status of many countries as well as impacted deeply into
cultural effects on quality of lives of many individually (Medhi et al., 2013). Today, ATM is one of the
most widely used farm of computer driven public technology and is designed to
make financial transactions easy for people (Hone et al., 2018). The using operation of an ATM usually involves the
slotting of a card a hole and following the instructions on the screen by
punching keys on the keyboard to issue commands as to the desired service one
requires.
The
emergence and wide acceptability of ATMs generally and its usage, is not
without its environmental challenges. Okoro et
al., (2018) observed that it provides an avenue for high human dermal
contact which could be a source of contamination infection and health hazards
to man. Bank ATMs are located in areas where many people have access to its use
and as such uncountable people from diverse backgrounds of education, enlightenment
profession, occupation hygiene status use them on daily basis, (Napajothi et al., 2019). The contamination
of environment objects and surfaces is a common phenomenon (Tayler et al., 2013). The contamination,
adherence and transfer of microorganism ms on different surfaces is governed by
factors of moisture levels, friction between the contact surfaces, species of
microorganisms involved as well as the features
of the surfaces. Also contaminated surfaces are reported to play important roles in the spread of infectious
diseases (Daniel et al., 2002) and
the involvement of humans in contacting and transmitting microorganisms have
been established (Raynolds et al.,
2014) reported the likelihood of ATMs to be contaminated with microorganisms
due to their vast usage which involve dermal contact with many people within
each day, while others have observed that a lot more people can be contaminated
from a contaminated ATM especially against the background that there are no
existing facility or guidelines to ensure hygiene in the use of ATMs (Onuoha et al., 2014).
It
has been noted also that many microorganisms are able to exist and persist on unanimate surfaces like that of ATMs and that
some may be harmless while others which are pathogenic can cause a lot of
health problems especially in immune compromised persons (Kramer et al., 2006). But many people are
believed to be ignorant of (or are not concerned with) the fact that
microorganisms are found on surfaces of outdoor objects whether in banks, schools,
market, offices, sporting enclave or homes (Hartman et al., 2004). Reports of microorganisms inhabiting surfaces of
ATMs have been recorded. Bures et al.,
(2000) reported that computed keyboards are among the most founded surfaces the
world today with up to 25% of the keyboards carrying pathogens at any given
time. Okoro et al., (2018) isolated
many different pathogenic bacteria from ATMs in different locations in Kaduna
metropolis including Klebsiella pneumonia,
Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella
typhimurium, S. dysentariae, P. aeruginesan and E. coli while Agu et al.,
(2018) reported the potentials of ATMs to dispense diseases following the
isolation of diverse pathogenic bacteria from the keyboard of the machines in Malatia
Turkey (Tekerekoglu et al., 2013) and
in Pudu Cherry, India (Napajothi et al.,
2019) all reveal the vast array of bacteria species found on ATMs including
pathogens. In Nigeria, the contamination of ATM by microorganisms could be due
to lack of care and hygiene. Fareyji, (2013) observed that most ATMs in big
cities in Nigeria are left at the mercy of climate and weather impulses which
makes them fully covered with dust and grime.
Against
the above backgrounds, this project was designed to study the microorganisms
associated with ATMs in Umudike, a community of students and government workers
as well as indigenous village people. It is believed, as observed by
Tekerekogla et al., (2011) that an
investigation of the microbiology of ATMs may be valuable for increasing the
awareness of possible transmission of pathogens which colonize their surfaces.
1.2 Aim
The
aim of this project is to study the microorganisms associated with Automated
Teller Machines (ATM) in Umudike.
1.3 Specific Objectives
The
general objective of this study is to investigate the microbial load and flora
of some ATMs in Umudike (MOUAU and NRCRI). The specific objectives include:
i.
to determine the
microbial load (fungi and bacteria) of different parts of ATMs in Umudike.
ii.
to isolate, characterize
and identify microbial isolates from ATMs in Umudike.
iii.
to determine the occurrence
and prevalence of isolates in the microflora of ATMs in Umudike.
iv.
to access possible
dangers to which ATM users in Umudike are exposed.
v.
to support possible
measures to reduce or eliminate severe microbial contamination of ATMs within
Umudike.
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