BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION OF UGANDAN PAPER CURRENCY NOTES POSSESSED BY FOOD VENDORS AROUND MULAGO HOSPITAL COMPLEX

BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION OF UGANDAN PAPER CURRENCY NOTES POSSESSED BY FOOD VENDORS AROUND MULAGO HOSPITAL COMPLEX

Muhumuza Allan1, Catherine Atuhaire2, Musisi Nathan3, Francis Ejobi4, Samuel Nambile Cumber5*

1School of Biosecurity, biotechnical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Production and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Uganda

2Faculty of medicine, Department of Nursing, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda

3School of Biosecurity, biotechnical and Laboratory Sciences, Department of Biotechnical and diagnostic services, Makerere University, Uganda

4School of Biosecurity, biotechnical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Production and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Uganda

5Section for Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Department of Public Health, Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Box 414, SE – 405 Gothenburg, Sweden

*Corresponding author: Dr. Samuel Nambile Cumber

Section for Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Department of Public Health, Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Box 414, SE – 405 Gothenburg, Sweden

Email address: Samuel.cumber@gu.se

Tel: +46722614019

Abstract

Background: Paper currency notes, exchangeable fomite, that is continuously contaminated because of the poor handling and storage practices.

Objective:The general objective of the study was to determine the bacterial contamination of paper currency notes possessed by food vendors around Mulago National Referral Hospital Complex.

Method: A total of sixty paper notes of six denominations (1000, 2000, 5000, 10000, 20000, 50000) were collected from different food vendors. Each note was preserved in a sterile falcon tube and transported to the microbiology lab for bacteriological examination.

Results:All sampled paper notes had bacterial contamination. The bacterial counts ranged from 4×102 cfu/ml to 6.8×109cfu/ml, with the Shs.1000 notes having the highest average total bacterial load of 2.17×109cfu/ml and highest average total coli form counts of 21.5×102 cfu/ml. The fifty thousand shillings note had no coliform detected. Of the analysed 60 samples, 27(45%) samples contained Staphylococcus aureus. None of the sampled paper notes had Escherichia coli.

Conclusion: The study  revealed that most of Ugandan paper notes are contaminated with bacteria including potential pathogens that cause disease in healthy individuals and opportunistic pathogens that may cause disease in hospitalized and immunocompromised patients. This study showed that the most contaminated note denominations were those of low denomination (Shs.1000 and Shs.2000) which had the highest bacterial count. The study revealed the paper currency notes were stored in different places where the commonest was the drawer and kept with different items, the commonest being pens. Hence, great care must be taken while handling money during the preparation and handling of food to avoid cross contamination.

KEY WORDS: Bacterial contamination, pathogens, food vendors, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, paper notes.