Bacterial contamination of neglected hospital surfaces and equipment in an Algerian hospital: an important source of potential infection

ABSTRACT

Hospital surfaces are heavily contaminated with bacteria, which are a potential source of nosocomial infections. This study was undertaken to identify bacterial communities isolated from neglected hospital surfaces after cleaning routine in a Algerian public hospital. Screening of bacterial contamination in patient bed (PB), reception land-line phones (TF), door handles (DH) and medical equipment (ME) during five months generated 108 inocula. Isolates obtained were identified based on biochemical characteristics and confirmed by analysis of 16S rRNA sequences. Statistical analysis was performed to reveal possible relationship between bacterial diversity and swabbed surfaces. Our findings showed a high prevalence of bacteria in various hospital surfaces, reaching (65.25%), where a highest contaminated surface was the PB (47.22%) and a lowest contaminated was TF (5.55%). Gram negative bacteria were the dominant group (62.03%) mainly represented by Entrobacteriaceae (42.59%), whereas Staphylococcus aureus belonging to Gram positive was the main expanded pathogen with (15.74%).

KEYWORDS:

• Public health
• 16s rRNA
• hygiene
• neglected surfaces

Acknowledgments

S.Saadi wants to thank the ERASMUS+ International Dimention Programme for the studentship at the University of Granada.

Disclosure statement

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.