ABSTRACT

 A total of sixty kitchen sponges were collected from the households in three major communities in Ikwuano L.G.A, Umuariaga, Amawom and Amaoba. The microorganisms isolated were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,  Aspergillus niger. The Total Heterotrophic Plate Count (THPC) ranged from 4.00-1.73 x 108 – 1.93 x 109 cfu/ml with a mean of 8.02 x 108cfu/ml, 3.65 x 108 -1.86 x 109cfu/ml with a mean of 9.13 x 108 cfu/ml and 4.65 x 108 - 1.93 x 109 cfu/ml with a mean of 8.47 x108 cfu/ml and Total Coliform Plate Count (TCPC) ranged from 3.60 x107 -9.7 x108 cfu/ml with a mean of 6.11 x107 cfu/ml, 3.59 x107 – 1.06 x108 cfu/ml with a mean 6.70 x107 cfu/ml and 3.55 x107 -1.01 x108 cfu/ml with a mean of 6.28 x107 cfu/ml in the three locations respectively. Antibiotics susceptibility pattern of the isolates showed that Staphylococcus aureus was most sensitive to Ofloxacin (27.4mm) and Nitrofurantoin (21.0mm) while Escherichia coli was most sensitive to Ofloxacin (35.0mm) and Cotrimoxazole (28.0mm). Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed the highest sensitivity to Ofloxacin (35.6mm) and most sensitive to Nalidixic acid (22.5mm). Based on the results, it was evident that kitchen sponges can be contaminated but there are some simple hygiene procedures which can significantly reduce the microbial contamination. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page i

Certification ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgement iv

Table of contents v-vi

List of tables vii

List of figures viii

Abstract ix

Chapter One

1.0 Introduction 1

1.1 Aims and objectives 2

Chapter two

2.0 Literature review 3

2.1 Presences of foodborne pathogens in kitchen 3

2.2 Behaviour of selected pathogens related with foodborne disease in 5

household kitchens

2.2.1 Salmonellae 5

2.2.2 Campylobacter jejuni 5 6

2.2.3 Bacillus cereus 6

2.2.4 Staphylococcus aureus 6

2.2.5 Escherichia coli 7

2.3 Kitchen sponges and pathogens 7 

2.4 Factors influencing the adhesion of foodborne pathogens to kitchen sponges 9

2.4.1 Properties of the kitchen sponges 9

2.4.2 Preconditioning of the kitchen sponge 10

2.4.3 The cell surface of the pathogenic microorganisms 10

2.4.4 Environmental factors 12

2.4.5 Antimicrobial agents 13

2.5 Methods of disinfection of kitchen sponges 14

Chapter three

3.0 Materials and methods 16

3.1 Study area 16

3.2 Sample collection 16

3.3 Microbiological analysis 16

3.3.1 Preparation of media 16

3.3.2 Sampling method 17

3.3.3 Enumeration of total heterotrophic, counts, total coliform counts and 17

fungal counts. 

3.4 Identification and characteristics of bacterial and fungal isolates 18

3.4.1 Determination of bacterial and fungal flora 18

3.4.2 Microscopic examination 18

3.4.3 Gram staining 18

3.4.4 Lactophenol cotton blue staining 19

3.4.5 Motility testing 19

3.5 Biochemical tests 20

3.5.1 Catalase test 20

3.5.2 Coagulase test 20

3.5.3 Oxidase test 20

3.5.4 Indole test 21

3.5.5 Sugar fermentation test 21

3.5.6 Antibiotic sensitivity testing 21

Chapter four

4.0 Results 23

Chapter five

5.0 Discussion, recommendation and conclusion 34

5.1 Discussion 34

5.2 Recommendations 38

5.3 Conclusion 39

References 40

LIST OF TABLES

1: Identified Isolates 24

2: Morphological identification of fungal isolate 25

3: percentage occurrence of bacteria and fungi in the kitchen sponges. 26

4: Total viable counts from kitchen sponges collected from Umuariaga 27

5: Total viable counts from kitchen sponges collected from Amaoba 28

6: Total viable counts from kitchen sponges collected from Amawom 29

7: Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacterial isolates 32