EFFECT OF WARD DISINFECTION ON AEROMICROBIOLOGY OF HOSPITAL ATMOSPHERE

This study was carried out to access the effects of ward disinfection on the aeromicrobiology of hospital atmosphere at the various hospital labeled H1BC, H2BC and H3BC for samples before disinfection and H1AC, H2AC and H3AC respectively for samples after disinfection and plates exposed outside as control were labeled H1B0, H2B0 and H3B0 respectively for each hospital. In the methodology, passive air sampling method was adopted in Nutrient Agar and Sarbouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) medium at five (5) units exposure time. Total bacteria count on Nutrient agar before disinfection were H1(H1BC 32 colonies), H2(H2BC 29 colonies), H3(H3BC 51 colonies), after disinfection were H1(H1AC 29 colonies), H2(H2AC 27 colonies) and H3(H3AC 49 colonies) and control were H1(H1B0 35 colonies) H2(H2B0 35 colonies) and H3(H3B0 50 colonies). Fungal count obtained from SDA were H1(H1FB 9 colonies), H2(H2FB 11 colonies) and H3(H3FB 11 colonies) for before disinfection and after disinfection H1(H1FA 8 colonies), H2(H2FA 5 colonies) and H3(H3FA 5 colonies) and lastly the control H1(H1F0 4 colonies), H2(H2F0 7 colonies) and H3(H3F0 5 colonies). Microorganisms identified in this study with their percentage of occurrence were; Pseudomonas sp. (11.6%), Corynebacterium (20.6%),Staphylococcus (26.6%),Streptococcus (21.2%), Clostridium sp. (20.0%), Aspergillus sp. (46.2%), Cladosporium sp. (40.0%) and Penicillum sp. (13.8%).In this study, the bacterial and fungal concentration in the hospital atmosphere were within the recommended limits set by World Health Organization (WHO) which indicate a satisfactory and low level of contamination in the hospital atmosphere. Growth and multiplication of airborne microbes need to be controlled in the hospital. Appropriate attention therefore need to be given to hospital environment in order to minimize the transmission of airborne microbes with deleterious consequences and cause for nosocomial or hospital infections.