Contamination of shopping carts and baskets with ESKAPE pathogens: A study from Mangaluru, India

Abstract

Aim

Fomites contaminated with pathogenic organisms serve as a reservoir and play an essential role in transmitting infectious agents. The fomites responsible for transmission are those found in the indoor environments of shopping malls and supermarkets that people often come into contact with, such as shopping carts and baskets. The increase in the public health concern of fomite contamination prompted us to undertake the current investigation to isolate and identify the bacteria, particularly the ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.) pathogens.

Subject and methods

The Samples used in the study included swabs collected from shopping malls and supermarkets in urban and sub-urban localities of Mangaluru, Karnataka, India. The molecular method led to the identification of pathogenic bacteria which were further assessed for their susceptibility to different antibiotics and screened for the presence of antibiotic resistant genes. Additionally, virulence assays were carried out to evaluate the pathogenic potential of the isolated strains.

Results

The study isolated and identified bacteria with the acronym ESKAPE and other bacteria causing foodborne illness. Notably, 10 % of the total isolates exhibited multidrug-resistant (MDR) nature and many strains were found to be virulent.

Conclusion

As many pathogenic bacteria were found to be associated with inanimate objects, the study suggests the implementation of suitable hygienic practices to reduce cross-contamination.