ABSTRACT

This project work studied the microorganisms that are associated with second hand clothes (Okirika) sold in Umudike. Three types of second hand clothes, including t-shirts, babies’ wears and under garments (undies), were randomly selected in each of three markets in and around Umudike (Gate 6, Umuariga and Umudike) and analyzed accordingly. Sterile swab sticks wetted with sterile saline solution were used to collect surface swab samples from each selected cloth, teased out in 10ml sterile saline solution and cultured by spread plate method on nutrient agar and Sabouraud Dextrose agar for bacteria and fungi respectively for counts and isolations. Results obtained show variations in which bacteria load was in the range of 8.33x105cfu/swab to 1.45x106cfu/swab and the fungi load ranged between 2.33x103cfu/swab to 5.00x103cfu/swab with mean values of 1.45x106cfu/swab and 3.67x103cfu/swab for bacteria and fungi respectively. The microflora of isolates from the clothes show the presence of different bacteria species with varying prevalence in the different clothe types including species of Bacillus (37.02%), Staphylococcus (92.6%), E. coli (29.62%), Pseudomonas (25.90%), Proteus (11.1%), Klebsiella (22.2%), and Enterobacter (18.5%). The gross occurrence of the fungi isolates was 62.90% (Aspergillus), 74.0% (Yeasts), 44.4% (Penicillium), 33.3% (Rhizopus). It was also observed that there were more microorganisms in the T-shirts than there was obtained in the baby’s wears and undergarments. Also, the occurrences of the microorganisms varied with clothe type and market locations. The presence of potential pathogens was noted as well as possibility of the clothes to transmit infections to people.