I. B. IDEMUDIA

The study was conducted to enumerate, identify the total airborne bacterial isolates from rooms in Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) male hostel, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State and determine the frequency of occurrence as well as antibiotic sensitivity profiles of these bacterial isolates. Materials and Methods: Samples were collected in duplicates and a total of 36 airborne samples were collected from six rooms. Using sedimentation technique, open Petri-dishes containing nutrient agar fortified with nystatin to inhibit fungal growth and enhance bacterial proliferation was applied to enumerate and isolate airborne bacterial isolates. Standard cultural, morphological and biochemical procedures were used to characterize the isolates. Antibiotics susceptibility profiles were determined using standard disk diffusion methods. Results: The total plate count for bacterial enumeration obtained from the sampling sites ranged from 8.1 x 10 -3 to 1.0 x 10 -3 and expressed in colony forming units (cfu). Result of cultural, biochemical and morphological test showed Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis according to Bergey’s manual of determinative bacteriology. The antibiotics resistant pattern of Staphylococcus aureus expressed resistance to Amoxicillin Clavulanate (AUG), Cefotaxime (CTX), Imipenem/Cilastatin (IMP), Ofloxacin (OFX), Nalidixic Acid (NA), Nitrofurantoin (NF), Nitrofurantoin (NF), Cefuroxime (CXM), Ceftriaxone Sulbactarm (CRO), Gentamycin (GN), Cefuroxime (CXM), Imipenem/Cilastatin (IMP), Levofloxacin (LBC), Cefexime (ZEM), Ampiclox (ACX) which was a higher number of antibiotics and sensitive on Ofloxacin (OFX), Azithromycin (AZN), Gentamycin (GN) and Erythromycin (ERY). Bacillus subtilis showed resistance to Amoxicillin Clavulanate (AUG), Cefotaxime (CTX), Imipenem/Cilastatin (IMP), Ofloxacin (OFX), Gentamycin (GN), Nalidixic Acid (NA), Nitrofurantoin (NF), Nitrofurantoin (NF), Cefuroxime (CXM), Ceftriaxone Sulbactarm (CRO), Gentamycin (GN), Azithromycin (AZN), Ofloxacin (OFX), Cefuroxime (CXM), Imipenem/Cilastatin(IMP), Levofloxacin (LBC), Cefexime (ZEM), Ampiclox (ACX) and Erythromycin (ERY). Significantly, the various air sampling sites of the rooms indicated the presence of bacteria with majority showing multiple antibiotics resistance. Conclusion: The assessment of indoor air quality is essential in determining bacterial air pollution. Bacterial isolates obtained can be used to estimate the health hazard posed and create standards for air quality for both the indoor environment. These bacterial isolates obtained from the sampling sites during this research calls for attention as they are of public health concern and suggesting risk of exposure of students to airborne bacterial contamination.