World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

BURDEN OF MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION OF NIGERIA NAIRA CURRENCY IN PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE.

Mbata C. A., Aleru C. P., Azike C. A. and Adewoye M. O.

ABSTRACT

The study was undertaken to access the burden of microbial contamination of Nigeria Naira currency in circulation in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. A total of 48 samples of Naira notes in all eight denominations of #5, #10, #20, #50, #100, #200, #500, #1000 grouped as mint, clean, dirty and tattered were investigated from Beggars, Bus Conductors, Market Women, Students, Food Vendors and Workers. Also 8 minted notes was used as control. Sterile swab stick rolled on the money was mixed in 9ml of sterile normal saline and diluted in one-tenth stepwise to 10-9. One ml of the diluted sample was mixed in molten appropriate agar and incubated at appropriate temperature. Isolates were identified by standard method and wet preparation done for parasites. Isolated organisms were 188 and includes E. coli, Klebsiella sp., Staph. aureus and Proteus sp. accounting for 90(50%), T. trichiuria, A. lumbricoides and Hookworm accounting for 55(29.25%) and Aspergillus sp., C. albican and Penicillum sp accounting for 39(20.74%). #5 notes recorded highest viable count of 22.3x10-5CFU/ml-1 and #1000 note had the lowest of 10.6x10-5CFU/ml-1. Mile III market recorded the highest rate of 86(45.7%), while Uniport campus recorded 17(9%). The mint notes had a level of 12(6.4%), while tattered notes had the highest level of 87(46.3%). Statistically there was no significant difference in viable count of microorganisms isolated per currency (P>0.05) the study has shown that Nigerian currency are contaminated with highly pathogenic microorganisms and care must be taken.

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