Isolation and Characterization of Bacterial Strains Contaminating the Metallic Keyboards of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) of Commercial Banks in Akure Metropolis

Abstract

Background. Automated Teller Machine (ATM) contamination occurs indiscriminately in cities. ATMs have become a medium for transmitting infectious diseases; hence, this study was carried out to examine the level of bacterial contamination on ATM keyboards. Methods. Samples were collected from the metallic keyboards of ATMs at nine different commercial banks using moistened commercial sterile swab sticks and sterilized peptone water. After collection, samples were plated on different agar forms using the pour-plating method and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. The bacterial isolates were culturally identified and molecularly characterized using 16s rRNA Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), DNA gene extraction, and sequence blasting. Results. The bacterial isolates identified include Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhi, and Staphylococcus aureus, among others. 16s rRNA sequencing confirmed the presence of Escherichia coli strain NBRC 102203, Pseudomonas aeruginosa DSM 50071, Salmonella typhi SKST, Shigella dysenteriae ATCC 13313, and Staphylococcus aureus S33R. Conclusion. ATM keyboards are contaminated with various bacterial genera, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most prominent bacterium found. Therefore, adequate measures to ensure safety when using ATMs are necessary.

Keywords

• Antibiotics
• Contamination
• Culture
• Infections
• Inhibition