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Abstract
The increasing use of Point-of-Sale (POS) machines as an alternative medium for financial transactions in Nigeria has greatly improved accessibility to cashless services but simultaneously raised public health concerns due to the frequent handling of these devices by multiple individuals under poor hygienic conditions. This study
was aimed at isolating, identifying and characterizing bacteria associated with POS machine keypads within the Textile Mill Road to Ogida Market axis of Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. A total of twenty (20) POS machines were randomly selected from different locations, including shops, roadside kiosks, and open market stores around the locations of sampling. Samples were aseptically collected using sterile cotton swabs moistened with physiological saline and transported under cold conditions (approximately 4 °C) to the Laboratory for analysis. The samples were inoculated on Nutrient Agar and MacConkey Agar for bacterial isolation. The plates were incubated at 37 °C for bacterial growth and 25 °C for 24–72 hours. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was carried out using the agar disc diffusion method with standard antibiotic discs. The result revealed that the total bacterial count ranged from 1.0 × 10³ to 7.7 × 10⁴ cfu/ml, indicating a significant level of microbial contamination. The bacterial isolated from all sampled POS are identified as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spp., Corynebacterium spp., and Enterococcus spp. The frequency and percentage occurrence showed that Bacillus spp was 14 (26%), Staphylococcus spp 13 (26%), Enterococcus spp 10 (20%), Corynebacterium spp 13 (26%). Antibiotic susceptibility testing demonstrated that most bacterial isolates exhibited resistance to ampicillin, erythromycin and chloramphenicol but remained sensitive to ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and gentamycin. The high prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria observed in this study suggests that POS machines may serve as potential reservoirs
and transmission routes for pathogenic bacteria, particularly in densely populated commercial areas where hygiene standards are low.
was aimed at isolating, identifying and characterizing bacteria associated with POS machine keypads within the Textile Mill Road to Ogida Market axis of Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. A total of twenty (20) POS machines were randomly selected from different locations, including shops, roadside kiosks, and open market stores around the locations of sampling. Samples were aseptically collected using sterile cotton swabs moistened with physiological saline and transported under cold conditions (approximately 4 °C) to the Laboratory for analysis. The samples were inoculated on Nutrient Agar and MacConkey Agar for bacterial isolation. The plates were incubated at 37 °C for bacterial growth and 25 °C for 24–72 hours. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was carried out using the agar disc diffusion method with standard antibiotic discs. The result revealed that the total bacterial count ranged from 1.0 × 10³ to 7.7 × 10⁴ cfu/ml, indicating a significant level of microbial contamination. The bacterial isolated from all sampled POS are identified as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spp., Corynebacterium spp., and Enterococcus spp. The frequency and percentage occurrence showed that Bacillus spp was 14 (26%), Staphylococcus spp 13 (26%), Enterococcus spp 10 (20%), Corynebacterium spp 13 (26%). Antibiotic susceptibility testing demonstrated that most bacterial isolates exhibited resistance to ampicillin, erythromycin and chloramphenicol but remained sensitive to ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and gentamycin. The high prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria observed in this study suggests that POS machines may serve as potential reservoirs
and transmission routes for pathogenic bacteria, particularly in densely populated commercial areas where hygiene standards are low.
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