ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY PROFILING OF BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM SURFACE OF VALIDATOR MACHINES INSTALLED IN BUS RAPID TRANSIT (BRT), PESHAWAR

Abstract

Validator machines for tickets validation are fundamental parts of modern public transportation systems, serving as key junctions for fare collection and passenger validation. Despite their significance in enhancing the functionality of public transportation systems, validator machines are susceptible to surface contamination and microbial colonization, posing potential health risks to passengers and transit personnel. There, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of bacteria isolated from the surfaces of validator machines installed in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations in Peshawar. A total of 124 swab samples were collected from the in and out validator machines (4 validator machines in each station) across 31 BRT stations in Peshawar. The swab samples were cultured on growth media and the isolated bacterial colonies were identified through biochemical tests and gram staining. Out of 124 samples, 65 (52.41 %) of the bacterial isolates were gram positive and 59 (47.58 %) of the isolates were gram negative. Several gram positive and gram negative bacterial isolates including Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Klebsiella and Proteus species were identified. The antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed on a total of 65 gram positive isolates including 57 Staphylococcus aureus and 8 Enterococcus species. Among them, 22 (33.84 %) of the S. aureus isolates were identified as methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed for a total of 59 gram negative bacterial isolates. All the gram negative isolates were MDR, showing resistance to multiple drugs. Piperacillin/Tazobactam was the most sensitive antibiotic against the tested species.