Abstract
Background: Bacteria may be found practically everywhere, including in the air, water, soil, food, and the organisms of plants and animals, including people. A female handbag is a multifunctional personal item that can harbor a variety of germs, including bacteria. Investigators had previously documented the existence of live harmful germs on inanimate objects. This study was conducted to investigate the quantity of bacterial contaminants.
Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study which is done in April of 2022. A total of one hundred samples were collected from handbags of undergraduate female students of Tishk International University in April of 2022. An interview with students through a structured questionnaire was done, for that reason, a specially designed questionnaire was prepared. Samples were collected by thoroughly rotating a cotton swab and taken to the Microbiology laboratory for analysis.
Results: A total of one hundred samples were taken which seven (7) bacterial species were discovered using culturing procedures, Gram staining responses, and several biochemical testing, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter spp., Enterococcus spp., Streptococcus pyogenes, Pseudogenes aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus Epidermidis. All the bacterial species were found sensitive to Colistin, three were sensitive to chloramphenicol, four were resistant to amoxicillin and three were resistant to Ciprofloxacin.
Conclusions: Different bacterial contaminants were isolated and identified from the handbags of female students at the conclusion of this study. Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterobacter spp., Enterococcus spp., etc. All of the bacteria were sensitive to Colistin, three were sensitive to chloramphenicol, four were resistant to amoxicillin, and three were resistant to Ciprofloxacin, according to the antibiotic sensitivity
Keywords: Handbag, Contamination, Bacteria, and antibiotic.