| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
|
| Year : 2015 | Volume
: 1
| Issue : 1 | Page : 27-31 |
|
|
Study of Prevalence of Microbial Contamination with its Antibiotic Resistance Pattern in Automated Teller Machine in and around Puducherry, India
J Nagajothi1, D Jeyakumari1, S Vigneshwaran2, R Praveen Kumar2, RS Bharatwaj3, R Bagyalakshmi1
1 Department of Microbiology, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Ossudu, Puducherry, India
2 Department of Internees, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Ossudu, Puducherry, India
3 Department of Community Medicine, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Ossudu, Puducherry, India
Correspondence Address:
R Bagyalakshmi
Department of Microbiology, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Ossudu, Koodapakkam Post, Villianur Commune, Puducherry - 605 502
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
|
|
|
Objective: To determine the prevalence of microbial contamination in automated teller machine (ATM) centers and report on its antibiotic susceptibility pattern. Materials and Methods: Ninety-two samples were collected from different ATM centers in and around Puducherry, India during summer (n = 50) and winter (n = 42). Sterile swabs soaked in sterile saline were used to swab the door handles, ATM monitors, keyboards, card swiping machines, and money outlets. The swabs were transported to the laboratory within 30 min from the time of collection and processed according to standard microbiological methods. Results: Of the 92 swabs collected from ATM centers, microbial growth was observed in 88 (95.7%) swabs. One hundred and sixty micro-organisms comprising 157 bacteria and 3 fungi were isolated. Klebsiella species (42.5%) was the predominant isolate followed by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) 20.62% and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15%), Escherichia coli (10.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (3.75%). All the isolates of Klebsiella, P. aeruginosa, and E. coli were susceptible to amikacin, imipenem, ceftazidime-clavulanic acid, and piperacillin-tazobactam. Variable susceptibility patterns were obtained with amoxyclav, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, gentamycin. In the summer study, 82% Klebsiella species were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers and 40% S. aureus were resistant to methicillin. CoNS exhibited sensitivity to amoxyclav, penicillin, ceftazidime, erythromycin, linezolid, vancomycin. Conclusion: The study revealed heavy bacterial contamination of ATM centers. Significantly ESBL producing Klebsiella species and Methicillin resistant S. aureus were colonizing the ATM machines. This finding necessitates the need for frequent disinfection of ATM machines and its accessories along with periodical microbiological surveillance. |
|
|
|
| [FULL TEXT] [PDF]* |
|
 |
|
