A Study of the Abundance, Diversity, and Resistance Pattern of Lavatory Microbial Flora of Public Setups versus Home Environment

Abstract Background: Microbial resistance to antibiotics holds a significant challenge to global health perspectives. The rise of anti-microbial resistance has emerged as one health concern. Public and private restrooms are the important sites for studying microbial communities because of their vital role in disposing of human waste and regular use, which creates a special ecological niche that is favorable to microbial colonization and transmission. Objectives of the Study: (1) To evaluate the microbial diversity associated with the different lavatories of university, households, and hospital. (2) Antibiotic resistance/susceptibility profiling against some standard antibiotics to assess the status of anti-microbial resistance in the public versus private environment. Materials and Methods: Swab samples were taken from nine public lavatories ( n = 9) from three different settings including 3 women’s toilets from the university, 3 toilets from three different homes, and 3 women’s toilets at the hospital (named Uni-1, Uni-2, Uni-3, Home-1, Home-2, Home-3, and Hosp-1. Hosp-2, and Hosp-3). The swabs were taken in triplicates from each site, and an average of this has been represented. The conventional subtyping methods were used to reveal the microbial variability among these settings followed by the subjection to antibiotic resistance/susceptibility profiling to evaluate anti-microbial resistance in these environments. Results: The present study revealed the distinct patterns in microbial loads, diversity, and resistance profiles among these settings. We found that the household toilets from the rural region harbored the highest bacterial abundance, followed by university and hospital toilets, it might be due to the lack of proper hygiene practices in the rural household settings. The biochemical profiling of isolated bacteria has shown their adaptations to nutrient-limited conditions and anaerobic microenvironments, which the modulation of the cellular networks can attribute. The resistance, particularly against β-lactams was prevalent in most of the bacterial isolates; however, all showed sensitivity to Tobramycin, indicating its potential value in treating infections caused by the bacteria in these settings. Conclusion: This study highlights toilet seats as potential reservoirs and disseminators of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, emphasizing the need for targeted hygiene and antibiotic stewardship strategies not just in healthcare settings, but also in public and private spaces.