Bacterial analysis of currency in circulation in a rural teaching hospital in India

Pathogenic bacteria responsible for the causation of many common diseases have been identified on currency notes and coins. The prevalence and pattern of bacterial contamination of currency varies from place to place. Studies reveal that multidrug resistant strains of bacteria are prevalent in currency. Hence the present study was conducted to know prevalence and pattern of bacterial contamination of currency in our hospital area and to know the resistance pattern of these bacterial isolates in order to identify whether these isolates are pathogenic or not. Prospective study of 100 currency from the hospital area and 35 new bank currency was conducted over a period of two months. A sterile cotton swab soaked in sterile normal saline , rubbed on both surfaces of currency was inoculated on blood agar and mac conkey agar and the plates incubated. The growth on the media was identified by standard biochemical reactions . Antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates was performed as per CLSI guidelines. 76 % of the currency obtained from hospital premises was found to be contaminated. Enterococcus was the most frequently isolated bacterial species. followed by Coagulase negative Staphylococcus , Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus . Multidrug resistant bacteria were prevalent in currency of our hospital area. Bacterial contamination of currency is common. Gram positive bacteria can thrive more on inanimate objects . There is significant faecal contamination of currency in our hospital area. The isolation of multidrug resistant bacteria from currency notes confirms that currency plays an important role in the transmission of drug-resistant bacteria in the community. Keywords: Currency, bacterial contamination, hospital area.