ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF PATHOGENS ASSOCIATED WITH HOUSEHOLD KITCHEN SPONGES.

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