Testing for Pathogenic Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance on Surfaces of Desks in the Front and Back of University Classrooms

Pathogenic bacteria are bacteria that cause disease and can commonly be found on surfaces contaminated by infected people. Once infected, issues can arise with treating pathogenic diseases due to the possibility of the bacteria being resistant to antibiotics. Colleges provide classrooms where desk surfaces are often used and face the potential of containing resistant pathogenic bacteria from student and staff use. The purpose of this research was to compare the number of pathogenic bacteria and their antibiotic sensitivity between same sized desk surfaces located at the front and back of classrooms at Governors State University. It was hypothesized that the front of the classroom would have the most pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance based on a previous study stating that most people who attend classes sit at the front of the room. After taking samples from 10 classrooms, counting growth of pathogenic bacteria from samples cultured on MSA, EMB, MacConkey, and blood agar, and then testing for antibiotic sensitivity, the results did not support this hypothesis. Analysis of results showed no significant correlation between desk location (front vs. back) and the number of pathogenic bacteria or their antibiotic sensitivity.