Abstract

Fomite mediated transmission can be an important pathway causing significant disease transmission in a number of settings such as schools, daycare centers, and long-term care facilities. The occurrence of pathogenic bacteria within Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic laboratories was investigated. Samples were randomly collected from different surfaces using sterile swab sticks and analyzed for total aerobic heterotrophic bacteria count (TABC) and total coliform count (TCC) and for potential pathogenic bacteria using standard microbiological procedures. Results obtained showed the total bacterial count ranging from, tables (2.8×10⁴), Laboratory bench (3.7×10⁴) and reagent shelves (4.0×10⁴) respectively for total bacterial count. The coliform count ranged from 2.1×10⁴, 1.1×10⁴ and 3.1×10⁴ respectively for the different surfaces. A total of eight (8) potential pathogenic bacteria were isolated which included; Bacillus species, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus species, Streptococcus species, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter, Serratia sp and Pseudomonas sp. The isolates and their frequency were Staphylococcus (100%) as the highest isolate, followed by Bacillus and Enterobacter (71.4%), Serratia (57.1%), Pseudomonas, Streptococcus and Micrococcus (42.8%) and Escherichia coli (28.5%) as the least. Appropriate hygienic measures to suppress any potential microbial cross-contamination are therefore needed to safeguard public health. It is also imperative to conduct regular testing to check for bacterial contamination and increase community awareness and education on sanitary and hygienic standards in the laboratory.