Abstract: Due to the nature of the work there, transfer of pathogens from fomites can easily occur in a clinical laboratory science teaching lab and cause infectious diseases in lab users and other persons with whom they interact.
Purpose: To determine whether solid surfaces in a clinical laboratory science teaching lab act as fomites, what microbes are harbored by them, and explore the significance of the findings.
Method: The study employing an experimental design was conducted at a university in central Jamaica, WI. Six solid surfaces including door handles, work station counter tops, hand wash sink faucet, student’s lab coat sleeve, and the seat of a wooden lab stool were swabbed and cultured onto MacConkey, blood and chocolate agar media.
Results: Gram negative bacteria were recovered from all sites except for the work station counter top which showed no growth. Microbes recovered in descending order of occurrence were Pantoea agglomerans, Serratia rubidaea, Enterobacter aerogenes and Escherichia coli.
Conclusion: Solid surfaces in a clinical laboratory science teaching lab act as fomites although not all microbes are clinically significant to immunocompetent persons.
Keywords: Fomites, teaching lab, infection control, pathogens, Pantoea agglomerans, Serratia rubidaea, Enterobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli.
Title: Isolation of Pathogenic Bacteria from Fomites in a Clinical Laboratory Science Teaching Lab
Author: Kerene Walker, Jermaine Walters, Shellon Solomon, Thonishae Coley
International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations
ISSN 2348-1218 (print), ISSN 2348-1226 (online)
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