Screening of Hands of Vulnerable Pupils (Almajiri) and their Frequently Touched Surfaces for MRSA and ESBL Producing Gram Negative Bacteria

Dissemination of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and extended spectrum â–lactamases (ESBLs) producing Gram negative bacteria through hands and shared surfaces is widely reported in hospitals and communities. A study was designed to screen hands and frequently touched surfaces of vulnerable pupils for MRSA and ESBL producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. A total of 400 swabs of hand and frequently touched surfaces of bowl, floor, wall and door knobs shared by Almajiri were collected and cultured on MacConkey and Mannitol Salt Agar and incubated at 37?C for 24 hours. Identification of isolates was done using biochemical tests. Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the isolates was determined using Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute method. Isolated S. aureus were screened for methicillin resistance using cefoxitin disc while E. coli and K. pneumoniae were screened for ESBL production using double disc synergy test. 400 samples, 80 (20 %) yielded bacterial growth. %) and 7 Out of the A total of 55 ( isolates were identified as S. aureus followed by 18 E. coli 13.75 %) K. pneumoniae (4.5 (1.75 %). About 24% isolates were recovered from bowl, 3% from door, 8% from floor, 63.75% from hands and 4% from the wall. S. aureus was more susceptible to gentamicin 100% and was more resistant to clindamycin 32.72%. E. coli was 100% sensitive to gentamycin, cefepime and ceftriaxone and 71.42% was resistant to ampicillin. K. pneumoniae was 100% sensitive to ceftriaxone and gentamycin and was more resistant to ampicillin 66.7%. The finding shows that MRSA and ESBL producing bacteria was not detected among the bacterial isolates. It is recommended that convenient sanitary environment should be provided for purpose of Almajiri education