ABSTRACT

The microbial air quality of five Day-care centers in Urnuahia was accessed. The five centers were chosen to cover the different parts of Umuahia, they included We-care International School Day- care center in Ehimiri Housin.g estate, St. Patrick school Day- care center in Agbama housing estate, Omni grace center in World Bank estate, Blessed Day-care center in Federal law court housing estat and National Root Crops Research Institute Day-care center in Umudike. Assessment was based on microbial load flora occurrences and changes between morning period and evening period (end of class/departure time). Results obtained show that the bacterial population ranged from 114cfu/unit time to l7Ocfu/unit time for morning hours and 177 cfu/unit time to 266 cfu/unit time the fungal count was recorded at the range of 3.3 cfu/unit time to 5.6 cfu/unit time for morning and 4.6 cfu/unit time to 6.6 cfu/unit time for evening. The bacterial genera include Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus, Shigeila, Streptococcus and E. co/i, while the fungal genera includes ApergiIIus, Penicilliuni and Yeasts. The occurrence of the different bacteria and fungi species varied between the schools and between morning and evening periods. Decline was recorded in the occurrence of some microbes between morning and evening periods and this was attributed to high level of personal and environmental hygiene in the centers/schools. The maintenance of such high level of hygiene in Day-care centers is therefore recommended.