Public Awareness and Precautionary Measures for Disease Transmission Prevention: A Microbial Evaluation of Ethiopian Paper Currency in Circulation in Arba Minch Town, SNNPR

Abstract

Background Money bills are handled by the public every day, which means they can carry microorganisms that can be passed from person to person through direct contact. This study aims to assess the public awareness and evaluate the bacterial contamination on Ethiopian paper currency in circulation in Arba Minch Town, SNNPR, Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the microbiology and parasitology laboratory at Arba Minch University, Ethiopia. A total of 150 Ethiopian paper currency samples were collected aseptically from different sectors in Arba Minch town for microbial analysis. Results The most common microorganisms isolated from the samples were gram-positive bacteria, with yeast being the least common. These microorganisms were identified as klebissela spp, E. coli, Streptococcus spp, Bacillus spp, Aspergillus spp, and Staphylococcus aureus based on their characteristics observed through phenotypic, microscopic, and biochemical analysis. The antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus spp. were evaluated, and both showed higher sensitivity to Vancomycin and Tetracycline antibiotics. Similarly, Klebsiella spp showed higher sensitivity to Ciprofloxacin while exhibiting a lower sensitivity rate (6.6667%) to Ampicillin. In contrast, Ampicillin showed higher activity on the E. coli isolates. Regarding the transmission of diseases through paper currency, a significant majority of participants (79.8%) were aware of the associated risk. However, it is worth noting that more than half of the participants (53.9%) reported that they do not take any precautions after handling paper currency. Conclusion Overall, the study confirms that paper bills are a suitable environment for bacterial growth and could potentially contribute to infections. Therefore, it emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about the potential risks associated with mishandling paper currency in all food establishments.