MICROBIAL EXAMINATION OF DOOR HANDLES OF EATERIES IN BENIN CITY

ABSTRACT

The research was carried out to evaluate the microbial contaminants of eatery and office door handles in Benin cit. Standard bacteriological methods were used to enumerate the total bacterial and fungal count of the the door handle. The bacterial isolates were characterized and identified using morphological and biochemical methods and sugar fermentation test. The percentage distribution and frequency of the isolates were evaluated using statistical method. The mean total heterotrophic bacterial count obtained in this study ranged from 5.30 x 10 5 ±1.00 a to 10.5 x 10 5 ± 1.50 c , the coliform counts in this study ranged from 0.00±0.000 a to 11.10 x 10 4 ± 1.0 c across the samples while the fungal colony count obtained in this study ranged from 3.95 x 10 4 ± 1.5 b to 78.5 x 10 4 ± 1.5 a There was a significant difference (p<0.05) in the bacterial count. Following the standard cultural, biochemical and morphological test the bacterial isolates obtained in this study were Bacillus sp, Staphylococcus sp., Salmonella sp., and kluyvera sp, while the fungal isolates obtained in this study include Mucor sp, Aspergillus sp, Trichoderma sp, Saccharomyces spp and Fusarium sp. The antibiotic sensitivity test conducted showed that non of the isolate was a a multiple antibiotic resistant isolates rather they were susceptible to the antibiotics.