RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Motorcycle helmets can serve as a potential vehicle for the transmission of pathogenic bacteria and fungi with serious health implications. The main aim of this study was to explore the microbial diversity associated with the motorcycle helmets and determine the antibiotic susceptibility profile of the bacterial isolates. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among the teaching staffs of Birendra Multiple Campus, Bharatpur, Nepal. A total of 130 motorcycle helmets worn by the teaching staffs of the Birendra Multiple Campus, Bharatpur, were included in the study for microbiological investigations. RESULTS: Of the total 130 motorcycle helmets analyzed, 392 bacteria and 346 fungi belonging to seven different genera were recovered. Staphylococcus aureus 89 (22.7%) was the predominant bacteria followed by S. epidermidis 77 (19.6%) and E. coli 54 (13.8%), whereas Aspergillus niger 67 (19.4%) was the predominant fungi followed by A. fumigatus 49 (14.2%). Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed by the disc diffusion method for all the bacterial isolates. Tetracycline, gentamycin, and cotrimoxazole were the most effective antibiotics for Gram-positive isolates, whereas Gram-negative isolates were sensitive towards imipenem and ciprofloxacin. Of the total bacterial isolates, 153 (39.0%) were multidrug-resistant (MDR), 10.4% were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers, and 4.3% were metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) producers and, out of 89 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, 30 (33.7%) were detected as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that motorcycle riders should follow good hygiene practices and regularly clean their helmets with suitable sterilants to avoid the risk of microbial contamination and reduce the associated risks.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Antimicrobial resistance among the bacteria present in ready-to-eat foods like vegetable salads is an emerging concern today. The current study was undertaken to investigate the presence of multi-drug resistant extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) producing E. coli and Salmonella spp. in raw vegetable salads served at hotels and restaurants in Bharatpur. A total of 216 salad samples were collected from three different grades of hotels and restaurants and examined for the presence of E. coli and Salmonella spp. in Microbiology laboratory of Birendra Multiple Campus by conventional microbiological techniques. RESULTS: Out of 216 samples, 66 samples (35.2%) showed the presence of Salmonella spp. whereas E. coli was recovered from 29 (13.4%) samples of which 3 samples harbored E. coli O157: H7. Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that 9 (13.6%) Salmonella and 4 (13.8%) E. coli isolates were detected as multi-drug resistant. Total ESBL producers reported were 5 (7.57%) Salmonella and 4 (13.8%) E. coli. The study also assessed a significant association between occurrence of E. coli and Salmonella with different grades of hotels and restaurants, personal hygiene and literacy rate of chefs and with the type of cleaning materials used to wash knives and chopping boards (p < 0.05). The findings suggest an immediate need of attention by the concerned authorities to prevent the emergence and transmission of food-borne pathogens and infections antimicrobial resistance among them.
