The Isolation and Assessment of the Levels of Microbial Pathogens From Saliva, Hands, and Currency Notes

Introduction Currencies such as coins and paper notes are always used for the purchase of products and services by the common man. These currencies are constantly being subjected to contamination and thus serve as a potential medium for the transfer of microbial pathogens. Thus, this study aims to establish public awareness of the proper handling of currency notes to prevent cross-contamination and the incidence of infectious diseases. Methods This study aims to identify and evaluate the levels of microbial pathogens in the saliva, hands, and currency notes from inoculated culture plates. Result On evaluation of the cultured plates, the presence of microbial pathogens was evident at 24 hours and 48 hours of growth. Staining of the sub-cultured plates aided in the identification of the organisms. Conclusion This study concludes that contaminated currency notes can act as a vehicle enabling the transmission of microbial pathogens and the incidence of infectious diseases.