Author(s)

Shivangi Patel¹, Victor Daka¹, Steward Mudenda², Mulemba Samutela², Misheck Chileshe³, Warren Chanda⁴, Imukusi Mutanekelwa^1*, Ephraim Chikwanda⁵, Titus Haakonde⁶, Tobela Mudenda⁷, Scott Matafwali⁸, Samson Mwale⁵, Ruth Lindizyani Mfune¹

¹Public Health Department, School of Medicine, Copperbelt University, Ndola, Zambia.
²School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
³Mary Begg Health Services, Ndola, Zambia.
⁴School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mulungushi University, Livingstone, Zambia.
⁵Tropical Disease Research Centre, Ndola, Zambia.
⁶Environmental Health Section, School of Applied and Health Sciences, Evelyn Hone College of Applied Arts and Commerce, Lusaka, Zambia.
⁷Pathology and Laboratory Department, Ndola Teaching Hospital, Ndola, Zambia.
⁸Clinical Research Department, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.

Background: Supermarkets are a place visited by individuals with different health conditions daily where microbiological contaminants through touch onto fomites such as trolleys and baskets can be passed on to other people hence potentially spreading infectious diseases. This study aimed to investigate the presence of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria on handheld shopping trolleys and baskets and their antimicrobial susceptibility status against commonly used antibiotics in Zambia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Trolleys and basket handles were swabbed and standard microbiological methods were used to identify the bacteria and disc diffusion to determine their antimicrobial susceptibility status. Data was collected from December 2021 to April 2022. Data was analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 22. Results: Twenty-eight percent of the 200 total samples were found to be culture-positive and predominant isolates were Staphylococcus aureus (17.3%), Pseudomonas species (4.5%), Escherichia coli (2%), Corynebacterium species (2%), Staphylococcus species (1.5%) and Enterobacter aerogenes (0.5%). Staphylococcus aureus showed the most resistance to azithromycin (17%) followed by ciprofloxacin (2.8%), nitrofurantoin (2.8%) and chloramphenicol (2.8%). Escherichia coli showed 100% resistance to amoxicillin, cloxacillin and ampicillin, 75% resistance to ciprofloxacin and the least resistance to azithromycin (25%) while it was susceptible to nitrofurantoin. Staphylococcus species, Corynebacterium species, Enterobacter aerogenes and Pseudomonas species showed no resistance to any antibiotics. Conclusion: The study showed the presence of microorganisms with considerable antimicrobial resistance to antibiotics in Zambia on trolley and basket handles indicating the need for more initiatives to address proper hygiene in public environmental sites for better infection prevention and control.

Antimicrobial Resistance, Coliform Bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Supermarket, Shopping Trolleys and Baskets

Patel, S. , Daka, V. , Mudenda, S. , Samutela, M. , Chileshe, M. , Chanda, W. , Mutanekelwa, I. , Chikwanda, E. , Haakonde, T. , Mudenda, T. , Matafwali, S. , Mwale, S. and Mfune, R. (2023) Prevalence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Status of Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Bacteria on Handheld Shopping Trolleys and Baskets in Supermarkets in Ndola, Zambia. Open Journal of Epidemiology, 13, 235-249. doi: 10.4236/ojepi.2023.134018.