Detection of Escherichia coli on Hands of Food Handlers Working in the Cafeterias

Abstract

This is a cross-sectional study carried out during the period from April to August, 2013 to detect Escherichia coli (E. coli) on hands of food handlers. The study was conducted in Sudan University of Science and Technology. One hundred samples (n=100) were taken from fifty food handlers; two samples from each participant (left and right hands) using well moistened sterile swabs. Swabs were inoculated on Eosin Methylene blue agar plates. The plates were incubated aerobically at 37 oC for 24 hours. Identification of E. coli was done using colonial morphology, indirect Gram stain and biochemical tests using MicrobactTM 24E Gram-negative identification system. Two (2%) of swabs were positive for E. coli in the left hands and one (1%) of swabs was positive for E. coli in the right hand (p > 0.05). A comparison of the frequencies in food handlers revealed that E. coli were higher frequency in the left hands than the right hands. All food handlers were Muslims. They were using ungloved bare hands in handling of food. 30% of participants wear clean uniform. All of them washes their hands using water and soap. No one suffer from any abdominal pains. The study concluded that the relatively low numbers of organisms found indicate that the majority of respondents complied with proper hand washing practices. This study referred to indication of faecal contamination. Further studies are required to assess personal hygiene of food handlers.