Speaker
Description
Background: Public touched surfaces such as Automated Teller Machine (ATM) keypads can serve as reservoirs for pathogenic microorganisms, facilitating their transmission in the community. The fourth industrial revolution has brought the bare importance of automation.
Objectives: This study aimed to isolate and characterise bacteria and fungi from selected ATM keypads at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, and to determine their antibiotic susceptibility profiles.
Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed, and sterile swabs were used to collect samples from seven ATMs located in two high-traffic areas: Commercial Area and Royal Parade Grounds. Standard bacteriological techniques, such as culturing, Gram staining, and biochemical tests, were employed to identify bacteria. Fungi were identified based on morphological and microscopic features.
Key findings: The bacterial load was highest at GCB Bank at the Commercial Area with 1.31×10⁶ CFU/mL and lowest at Ecobank in the same area with 7.41×10³ CFU/mL (p>0.05). Likewise, fungal load highest was also at GCB Bank in the Commercial Area with 1.31×10⁶ CFU/mL, but lowest at Access Bank at Royal Parade Grounds (9.07×10³ CFU/mL). A total of 42 bacterial isolates were isolated, with Staphylococcus spp. being the most prevalent, followed by Bacillus spp., whiles Corynebacterium sp. was the least. Seven fungal species were identified: Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Colletotrichum sp., Curvularia sp., and Penicillium sp. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed high levels of multidrug resistance. Gram-negative isolates were resistant to ampicillin, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, cotrimoxazole, and cefuroxime, while gentamicin, amikacin, and levofloxacin demonstrated the highest susceptibility. Gram-positive isolates were resistant to cotrimoxazole and cephalexin but showed high susceptibility to cephalothin, rifampin, and gentamicin.
Implications: These findings highlight ATM keypads in high-traffic areas as potential reservoirs of multidrug-resistant microorganisms, highlighting the importance of regular disinfection and environmental monitoring.