Dike KS*

Department of Microbiology, Imo State University Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author: Dike KS, Department of Microbiology, Imo State University Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.

Received: November 14, 2023; Published: December 04, 2023

Abstract

Shopping malls have recently gained a lot of popularity in Nigeria. This is due to changes in government policies, population makeup and increasingly sophisticated consumers. However, shopping carts and baskets used in these malls have become a source of transmission of potential pathogens. This study examined the bacterial contamination of shopping carts and baskets used in the four major shopping malls in Owerri, Imo state, Nigeria. A total of 85 swab samples were collected from shopping carts and baskets from the four major shopping malls in Owerri, Imo state and analyzed using standard microbiological procedures. The result indicates that shopping carts and baskets were contaminated with bacteria in all shopping malls. Shopping mall B recorded the highest count for both total heterotrophic (7.8 x105 CFU/cm2) and coliform count (4.5 x 105 CFU/cm2). A total of 64 isolates comprising 25(39%) gram-positive and 38(61%) gram-negative bacteria were isolated. Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella spp. Escherichia coli Enterobacter spp, Bacillus spp. Citrobacter spp, Proteus spp and Pseudomonas were identified. Staphylococcus aureus (29.7%) was the most predominant while Pseudomonas spp was the least predominant (4.7%) organism. The study has revealed the contamination of shopping carts and baskets in these shopping malls by potential bacterial pathogens. The study therefore recommends adequate cleaning and periodic disinfection of shopping carts and baskets to prevent the spread of these infectious agents.

Keywords: Shopping Malls; Carts; Basket; Bacteria; Contamination

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Citation

Citation: Dike KS. “Bacterial Contamination of Shopping Carts and Baskets Used in the Major Shopping Malls in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria". Acta Scientific Microbiology 7.1 (2024): 16-19.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2024 Dike KS. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.