Detection of Bacteria Types Contaminating Hotel Bedsheets and Testing their Sensitivity to Natural and Industrial Disinfectants

Abstract

The majority of people who are travelling like to stay in hotels, or rent rooms which are considered dangerous sites for patients and vectors, and environments suitable for outbreaks and disease spreading. Bacterial contamination in hotels is a crucial concern for guests as it can cause serious infections. This study aimed to evaluate the contamination of some local hotel bedsheets with bacteria. For this, forty samples were collected (pillow covers, sheets, blankets, and mattresses) from different hotels during the summer holidays of July- August 2023. Several bacterial diagnosis tests were carried out to identify these bacterial species. Then, an antibacterial sensitivity test for ten different antibiotics and the bacteria that exhibited the highest antibiotic resistance were selected to test their sensitivity to natural plant extract and industrial disinfectant. Results showed that the highest level of bacterial contamination was registered in pillows and sheets (22.33x103cfu/g) and (21.33x103cfu/g) respectively. Also, ten bacterial species were isolated from all bedsheet types and most of them were normal flora. Moreover, Gram-positive bacteria were the most prevalent species. The antibiotic sensitivity tests showed that Micrococcus sp. was the most sensitive bacteria to antibiotics at 50%, while Bacillus cereus was more resistant to antibiotics at 80%. Also, as a result of the sensitivity of bacteria to disinfectant, crude lemon was recorded as the perfect natural disinfectant for Staphylococcus sp. whereas, a liquid industrial disinfectant (LID) was most effective against Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus and Klebsiella sp.  Therefore, it is preferable to use LID and lemon as a disinfectant and sterilizer when washing fabrics.

Keywords

• hotels
• bedsheets
• bacterial contamination
• antibacterial activity
• disinfection