COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE ANTIBIOGRAM OF SOME BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINE (ATM) KEYPADS FROM ABAKALIKI AND AFIKPO IN EBONYI STATE

Automated Teller Machine (ATM) is used by millions of people each day and it is likely to be contaminated with different microorganisms. The ATM keypads were examined to assess them as a potential source of bacterial contamination and to provide the antibiogram of the isolated bacteria. The study lasted from April, 2016 to June, 2016. The procedures involved culturing and identifying swabs from the keypads of 20 ATMs using biochemical tests and Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method for the antibiotic sensitivity tests. The result indicated contamination of the keypads with Staphylococcus aureus 15 (44 %), Escherichia coli 8 (24 %), Klebsiella species 10 (29 %) and Enterobacter species 1 (3 %). There was no significant difference among the bacteria isolated (p > 0.05). The result of the antibiogram showed variation in the susceptibility pattern of the isolates to the antibiotics. Stapphylococcus was 92% resistance to penicillin, followed by ampiclox 85 %, erythromycin 77 % and augmentine 62 %, and while 62 %, 46 % were susceptible to levofloxacine and streptomycine respectively. Escherichia coli was 100% resistance to norfloxacine, followed by penicillin and amoxyl 86%, while 71% of E. coli was susceptible to levofloxacine, followed by ciprofloxacine 57 % and gentamycine 43 %. Klebsiella species were 80 % resistance to penicillin and erythromycin, followed by ampiclox and nalidixic acid 60 %, but 80 % susceptible to levofloxacine, and 60 % susceptible to augmentine, ciprofloxacin and chloramphenicol. The variation of the isolates to the antibiotics demands the need for periodic screening of common bacterial pathogen. Keywords: Antibiogram, Bacteria, Automated teller machine (ATM), Abakaliki and Afikpo.