Exploring the Hand Microbiota of Fishmongers: Unveiling the Bacterial Spectrum
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Abstract
Background: Bacteria are tiny unicellular organisms that are ubiquitous. Hands are a more significant source of infection when compared to other parts of the body. The hands of fishmongers can carry different types of pathogenic organisms, leading to food poisoning, diarrhea, and other bacterial infections, both for themselves and others. Aims: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of bacteria, both commensals and pathogens, isolated from the hands of fishmongers and other workers. Materials and methods: The samples were collected from the hands of 50 fishmongers and 20 daily wage workers using sterile cotton swabs. They were transported to the laboratory without any delay and inoculated on Nutrient agar, then incubated at 37℃ for 24 hours. Identification of the Genus and species of the isolated bacteria was done by the conventional method. Results: Out of 50 samples, the predominant organism isolated was identified as Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (CoNS) - (34%), followed by Bacillus spp. (20%), Acinetobacter spp. (12%), Escherichia coli (10%), and Klebsiella spp. (9%), Staphylococcus aureus (7%) Corynebacterium species (6%) and the less frequently isolated organisms were Aeromonas species (2%). 20 samples collected from the hands of other workers yielded CoNS (51%), Bacillus species (25%) predominantly followed by Corynebacterium species (18%), Staphylococcus aureus (3%), and Aeromonas species (3%). Conclusion: This study concluded that the percentage of pathogenic bacteria was higher in the hands of fishmongers compared to the control group and it highlights the need for more intensive efforts to promote hygiene and hand wash behavior among them.