Abstract

PREVALENCE OF POTENTIAL NOSOCOMIAL BACTERIAL PATHOGENS IN LIQUID WASTE AND WASTE DUMP SOIL OF THREE MAJOR HOSPITALS IN CALABAR METROPOLIS, SOUTHSOUTH, NIGERIA

*Andy I. E. and Okpo E. A.

Abstract

Hospital environment serves as a complex ecosystem that need proper intervention in order to have adequate infection control. The prevalence of potential nosocomial bacterial pathogens in liquid waste and waste dump soil of three major hospitals in Calabar Metropolis was investigated. The liquid waste and waste dump soil samples were collected and analyzed microbiologically. A total of 179 bacteria were isolated from the samples. 114 isolates were gram negative bacteria while 65 isolates were gram positive. The potential nosocomial bacterial pathogens isolated in this study were Staphylococcus aureus. 41(22.9%), Escherichia coli. 37(20.7%), Streptococcus spp. 21(11.7%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 23(12.8%), Salmonella spp 14(7.8%), Providenia spp 9(5.0%), Enteronacter aerogenes 9(5.0%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 12(6.7%), Bacillus cereus 3(1.7%), Chryseobacterium spp 3(1.7%) and Serratia mercescens 2(1.1%). Statistical analysis carried out on the data obtained shows no significant (p>0.05) difference in the frequency of occurrence of nosocomial bacterial pathogens in liquids waste and waste dump soil of the three hospitals studied. The finding of this study shows that the hospital liquid waste and waste dump soil may be a potential reservoir of potential nosocomial bacterial pathogen that can cause nosocomial infections.

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