Microbial Contamination of Infant Diapers

Abstract

This study investigated the microbial contamination of infant diapers. Five (5) different samples of infant diapers were used for this study. The results revealed that samples were contaminated by microorganisms. The highest bacterial count was recorded in sample 1 with a total bacterial count of 2.0 x 10³ CFU/g, followed by sample 3 with a total bacterial count of 1.4 x 10³ CFU/g. Sample 4 had a bacterial count of 1.3 x 10³ CFU/g, sample 5 had a total bacterial count of 1.2 x 10³  CFU/g while the least bacterial count was recorded in sample 2 with a total  bacterial count of 1.0 x 10³ CFU/g. The bacterial genera identified and their percentage frequency of occurrence were Bacillus sp.(29%), Staphylococcus sp.(35%), Pseudomonas sp.(12 %), Streptococcus sp.(24 %),while ,E.coli and Proteus sp. had  26 %  percentage  frequency of occurrence each respectively. The fungal count ranged between 1.0  x 10³   to 1.6 x 10³ CFU/g.  The fungal isolates identified from this study and their percentage frequency of occurrence were Candida albicans (24 %), Penicillium sp.(19 %), Rhizopus sp.(10 %), Aspergillus sp.(14 %) and Mucor sp.(8 % ). Susceptibility results indicated that 95 % of that bacterial isolates were sensitive to Ciprofloxacin, Gentamycin, Levofloxacin, Oflaxacin, Ampicillin, Septrin, Ceprorex, Amoxil, Streptomycin, and Rifampicin. Five bacterial isolates were resistant to more than one class of antibiotics. E.coli. was resistant to Pefloxacin, Ceprorex, and Ampicillin. Pseudomonas sp. was resistant to  Pefloxacin and Gentamycin. Proteus sp. was resistant to Septrin and Pefloxacin while Bacillus sp was resistant to Amoxil, Rifampicin and Chloramphenicol. The presence of these microbial contaminants in diapers could be attributed to existing of microorganisms in the raw materials during processing and manufacturing, packaging, storage, handling  and transportation of this product. Hence, a routine microbial study is thus suggested.