FIVE JUNCTION

Point-of-sale (POS) machines are widely used for cashless transactions in Nigeria, but frequent handling by multiple users makes their keypads potential fomites for microbial transmission. This research aimed to determine the microbial load, public health risk and antimicrobial resistance patterns present on POS keypads sampled from twenty locations between Five Junction and First East Circular Junction, Benin City. 20 Swab samples were used to swab on the screen or button of the POS machines to collect isolates. The bacterial isolates were identified using morphological, microscopic and biochemical techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was conducted to determine resistance profiles of the bacterial isolates. Analysis of bacterial counts revealed considerable contamination, ranging from 1.5 × 10³ cfu/ml to 6.55 × 10 4cfu/ml. Four bacterial species were identified which were Staphylococcus spp. (34.15 %), Pseudomonas spp. (26.83 %), Aeromonas spp. (24.40 %) and Enterococcus spp. (14.63 %). Antibiogram results demonstrated multidrug resistance, particularly in Pseudomonas sp. which showed resistance to several antibiotics including streptomycin and chloramphenicol. The presence of pathogenic and multidrug-resistant bacteria on POS keypads indicates their potential role in the transmission of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance within the community. Nevertheless, further research is needed to establish effective disinfection practices, determine the frequency of contamination and evaluate the impact of hyg