Assessment of Bacterial Profiles and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Isolates Contaminating Metallic Keyboards of Automated Teller Machines in Adama City, Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

Automated Teller Machine (ATM) is a computerized telecommunication device which makes banking easier today. However, it is contaminated by potential pathogens transmitted with hand contact. In studying microbial profile of ATM machines was an interesting project. Contaminated surfaces play a significant role in the spread of infectious diseases. Given that 80% of infections are transmitted by hand contact with contaminated hands, studying microbial profile of ATM machines is an interesting project. Apart from that, the contaminating pathogenic microorganisms are becoming more resistant to antibiotics. Thus, this study was aimed to investigate the presence and types of bacteria that colonize ATMs surfaces and determine the antimicrobial resistance in Adama City and provide valuable insights into public health and hygiene practices using standard methods. Samples were collected using sterile swabs rubbed on the keypads, screens, and other surfaces of the ATMs. The swabs were streaked onto Blood agar MacConkey and Chocolate agar and incubated at 37oC for 24 hours. Identification of microorganisms was done using standard biochemical characterization, Gram staining, and Endospore-staining and MALDI-TOF MS methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the bacterial isolates was conducted using the Kirby-Bauer agar disc diffusion method. All the data were analyzed using MS excel sheet and analyzed by SPSS, version 27. Thus, a total of 77 bacterial isolates were collected from 80 samples of which 58% were gram negative and 42% were gram-postive. Based on both cultural and biochemical tests 13 different bacterial isolates were categorized into; Escherchia coli, Psudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella dysenteriea, Salmonella tyhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus spp. Shigellaspps. Listeria spp. Serattia spp. Citrobacter spp., Protous mirballis, and Providencia stuarti. The Antibibiogram study showed that the majority of the bacteria were highly resistant to standard antibiotics, of which more gram-negative bacteria were resistant than gram positive bacteria to many antibiotics. All gram-negative bacteria were resistant to penicillin G 15/15(100%) antibiotics. Gram-postive was also resistant to antibiotics clindamycin 3/3(100%) Bacillus spp, S.aureus and Listeria spp. From the result of MALDI-TOF 16151(ICBE), 16153(ICBE5), 16157(ICBO2), 16160(ICBE25) were identified as K. pneumoniae with scores 2.32, 2.36, 2.21, 2.05, respectively these 4 isolates score values indicate high confidence identification. Generally, it can be concluded that bacteria identified have pathogenic potential and hence their presence on those objects surfaces may have a capability of transmitting pathogens through the community is an indicative of the need for awareness on cleaning of such surfaces or disinfection and adequate hand hygiene.