Isolation and Identification of Pathogenic Bacteria and Fungi from Some Sudanese Banknote Currency

Abstract

Sudanese Banknotes in different values were critically evaluated to show the level of contamination with pathogenic microbes using standard techniques.The fungal genera Trichophyton sp, Microsporum sp, Epidermophyton sp, Taenia sp, Aspergillus sp and Saccharomyces sp were isolated and identified.The genera of bacteria that isolated were Escherichia coli, Citrobacter sp, Klebsiella. sp, Proteus sp, Bacillus sp, Corynebacterium sp and staphylococcus sp. The potential of Sudanese currency notes to act as environmental vehicles for transmission of pathogenic fungi & bacteria was assessed. The lower values of banknotes were highly contaminated and there is a negative correlation between banknotes value and microbial contamination. The results suggest that currency notes may be contaminated, especially with bacteria and enteric microbes and may serve as a source of contamination or infection . Personal hygiene and electronic or ceredit banking to reduce the risk of infection is recommended.