Microbiological assessment of the indoor air quality of a university health centre in Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: The air within the healthcare environment may serve as a reservoir for microorganisms thereby contributing to the rate of infection. Regular monitoring of the microbial burden is necessary to ascertain the microbiological quality of hospital environments. Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the quality of the indoor air in a university health centre. Methods: The air microflora was assessed using the settle plate method. Air samples were taken from the waiting room, consulting rooms, nurse station, male and female wards as well as the laboratory to detect bacterial and fungal flora. The antimicrobial activity of five commonly used disinfectants was tested on some of the isolated bacteria. Results: Thirteen bacterial genera and two fungal genera were identified. The predominant bacteria were Klebsiella spp (15.7%), Bacillus spp (15.7%) and Streptococcus spp (10.5%). Among the less common bacterial isolates were Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium spp. The fungal isolates include Aspergillus niger (50%) and Mucor spp (50%). The microbial burden was highest in the wards, followed by the consulting rooms and the waiting room. The antimicrobial activity the disinfectants varied with the concentrations tested. Klebsiella species were resistant to two of these disinfectants at all concentrations. Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed the presence of possible pathogens. This emphasizes the importance of regular air surveillance and proper infection control practices in hospitals.