ABSTRACT

Assessment of bacterial and fungal contamination of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in some banks in Michael Okpara University Agriculture was investigated. Two Automated Teller Machines from each of five banks in the school were used and three machine parts, screen, button and shutters were swabbed and cultured for bacteria and fungi growth and antibiogram. Results obtained show mean bacteria load of 2.2 x 105 cfu/ml to 5.5 x 105 cfu/ml in the screen, 3.5 x 105 cfu/ml to 6.5 x 105 cfu/ml in the buttons and 2.0 x 105 cfu/ml to 3.0 x 105 cfu/ml in the shutter. The fungal load 1.0 – 2.5 x 102 cfu/ml in the screen and buttons each and 0.5 – 1.5 cfu/ml in the shutter. Also up to seven bacteria species and four fungi species were isolated with varying occurrences. The bacteria isolates included Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus as Gram positive while Enterobacter, Escherichia and Pseudomonas as Gram negative bacteria isolates are with occurrences in the range of 11.0% (Pseudomonas), Staphylococcus 21.5%; Escherichia coli 15%, Streptococcus spp. 22.5%, Enterobacter 12.5%, Coagulase negative Staphylococcus 14.0%,  Penicillium spp. 18.8%,  spp. 13.5%. Occurrence was from 15.0% (Rhizopus), Aspergillus niger 30%, Penicillium spp. 18.5%, Yeast 36.5% to 30.0% . The bacteria isolates antibiogram show a high resistance in the range of 44.4% (Bacillus) to 88.9% (Pseudomonas). The react further show that there are more variations in the occurrence of the isolates in the different parts of the machines on one hand and between the Automated Teller Machines in the different banks within   the school. First bank Automated Teller Machines and Eco bank Automated Teller Machines had more organisms than the other banks with records of 75% to 100% (1.5/ to 2/2). Also the screen and buttons were more contaminated than the shutter and that was reflected in all the banks studied. The different drugs had varying effects on the organism. Ampiclox, Ampicillin, Pefloxacin were the least potent as all the test organisms exhibited resistance to them while Oflaxacine, Gentamycin  and Ciprofloxacin were the most potent drugs having recorded susceptibility of more than four isolates each. It was concluded that the high prevalence of different microbial isolates in the Automated Teller Machines implying equally high level of contamination and which calls for public health concern.