Bacterial contamination of Saudi Arabian paper currency: A report from Al-Kharj

Mohammed Muqtader Ahmed, Farhat Fatima, Mohammad Javed Ansari, Ramadan Al-Shdefat, Mohammad Khalid Anwer, Shahid Jamil, Mutasim Osman Ahmed, Yonus Saeed, Mohammed Noor, Prakash Katakam, Aleemuddin M, Ayesha Farheen

Abstract


Background: Currency is a public support tool for exchange of commodity and services. It’s prevalent practice for acquiring bread to broast and bath to bed has connected all human being together irrespective of race and occupation. Currency notes along with their denomination values also carry pathogens if contaminated and will act as an agent for infection transference. Therefore the objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess the load microbial pathogens of paper currency collected in selected public places of Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.

Methods: Currency notes under study were assessed through microbiological culture, microscopic and biochemical visualization techniques.

Results: The results from this cross-sectional study suggested that lower the currency denominations higher was the microbial contaminations, frequency percentage was lower with higher isolations. Small eateries were the biggest source of contaminated currency from the ten selected centres. Percentage microorganism occurrence for Bacillus sp., Staphylococcus sp., Klebsiella sp. and E. coli was 56.84%, 25.03%, 13.40% and 04.71% respectively in all currency notes under study.

Conclusions: The outcomes of this study revealed that currency notes can be a source for microbe transmission causing infectious diseases represent public health hazards to the community and individuals.


Full Text:

PDF

References


Borah D, Parida P, Kumar T. Paper currencies, a potential carrier of pathogenic microorganisms. International Journal of Applied Biology and Pharmaceutical Technology, (2012); 3(1): 23-25.

Pope TWC, Ender PT, Woelk WK, Koroscil MA, Koroscil TMC. Bacterial contamination of paper currency. Southern Medical Journal, (2002); 95(12): 1408-1411.

Abrams BL, Waterman NG. Dirty money. JAMA, (1972); 219(9): 1202-1203.

Pompermayer DM, Gaylarde CC. The influence of temperature on the adhesion of mixed cultures of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli to polypropylene. Food Microbiology, (2000); 17(4): 361-365.

Podhajny RM. How dirty is your money? Paper, Film and Foil Converter, (2004); 78(1): 21.

Lamichhane J, Adhikary S, Gautam P, Maharjan R, Dhakal B. Risk of handling paper currency in circulation chances of potential bacterial transmittance. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology, (2009); 10: 161-166.

Tagoe D, Baidoo S, Dadzie I, Ahator D. A study of bacterial contamination of Ghanaian currency notes in circulation. The Internet Journal of Microbiology, (2010); 8(2): 1-5.

Barolia SK, Verma S, Verma BK. Coliform contamination on different paper currency in Ajmer, Rajasthan, India. Universal Journal of Environmental Research and Technology, (2011); 1(4): 552-556.

Rashed T, Ghanaat J, Ghazvini K, Rashed E. Bacterial contamination of current banknotes and coins. (2006).

Kuria J, Wahome R, Jobalamin M, Kariuki S. Profile of bacteria and fungi on money coins. East African Medical Journal, (2009); 86(4).

Ayandele A, Adeniyi S. Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance pattern of microorganisms isolated from Naira notes in Ogbomoso North, Nigeria. Journal of Research in Biology, (2011); 8587-593.

Pradeep N, Marulasiddaiah B, Chetana M. Microbial contamination of Indian currency notes in circulation. Journal of Research in Biology, (2012); 2: 377-382.

Bhat N, Bhat S, Asawa K, Agarwal A. An assessment of oral health risk associated with handling of currency notes. International Journal of dental clinics, (2010); 2(3): 14-16.

Ahmed MSU, Parveen S, Nasreen T, Feroza B. Evaluation of the microbial contamination of Bangladesh paper currency notes (Taka) in circulation. Advances in Biological Research, (2010); 4(5): 266-271.

Abid HS. Bacterial contamination of Iraqi paper currency notes in circulation & resistance of pathogenic bacteria to antibiotics. Iraqi Journal of Sciences, (2012); 53: 81-87.

Alwakeel SS, Nasser L. Bacterial and fungal contamination of Saudi Arabian paper currency and cell phones. Asian Journal of Biological Sciences, (2011); 4(7): 556-562.

Al-Ghamdi A, Abdelmalek S, Bamaga M, Azhar E, Wakid M, et al. Bacterial contamination of Saudi" one" Riyal paper notes. Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, (2011); 42(3): 711.

Han AM, Oo KN, Win PP, Han AM, Aye T. Contamination of currency notes with enteric bacterial pathogens. Journal of Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, (1989); 7(3/4): 92-94.

Weinstein RA, Hota B. Contamination, disinfection, and cross-colonization: are hospital surfaces reservoirs for nosocomial infection? Clinical Infectious Diseases, (2004); 39(8): 1182-1189.

Zhang R, Eggleston K, Rotimi V, Zeckhauser RJ. Antibiotic resistance as a global threat: evidence from China, Kuwait and the United States. Globalization and Health, (2006); 2(1): 6.

Graham SM, Molyneux EM, Walsh AL, Cheesbrough JS, Molyneux ME, et al. Nontyphoidal Salmonella infections of children in tropical Africa. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, (2000); 19(12): 1189-1196.

El-Din El-Dars FM, Hassan WM. A preliminary bacterial study of Egyptian paper money. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, (2005); 15(3): 235-240.

Tjoa W, DuPont H, Sullivan P, Pickering L, Holguin A, et al. Location of food consumption and travelers' diarrhea. American Journal of Epidemiology, (1977); 106(1): 61-66.

Angelakis E, Azhar EI, Bibi F, Yasir M, Al-Ghamdi AK, et al. Paper money and coins as potential vectors of transmissible disease. Future Microbiology, (2014); 9(2): 249-261.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.