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ABSTRACT
The human hands are part of the human body mostly in contact with the outside world. Hand hygeiene are methods by which we keep the hands safe from microorganisms and also prevent their spread thereby avoiding contamination or infections which may be threating to the human health. The aim of this study is to compare the antibacterial activity of different brand of alcohol-based hand sanitizer (2sure, dettol and carex) on selected Gram-positive isolates (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megathium, Micrococcus luteus and Enterococcus feacalis). The test isolates were obtained from the Department Microbiology, University of Benin. The isolates were analyzed using cultural, morphological and bio-chemical characteristics. Test isolates were standardized following McFarland turbidity standard. Agar well diffusion method was used for bacterial susceptibility to hand sanitizers and broth dilution method to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration. 2sure hand sanitizer showed the highest antibacterial activity on clinical and environmental test isolates of Staphylococcus aureus with zone of inhibition of 22.33±2.03mm and 27.33±0.33mm respectively, followed by environmental test isolates of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus megathium with zone of inhibition of 20.00±0.00mm and 22.00±0.00mm respectively for the environmental isolate of Micrococcus luteus, Carex had the highest antibacterial activity with zone of inhibition of 22.33±0.67mm followed by 2sure 12.67±0.33mm. Dettol hand sanitizer inhibited clinical Staphylococcus aureus with zone of inhibition 13.67±1.33mm while on the environmental test isolates it was effective on Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis with zone of inhibition 11.67 ±2.73 and 6.00±0.58mm respectively. None of the three (03) hand sanitizer was ix effective against Enterococcus feacalis with a characteristic of no zone of inhibition. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2sure hand sanitizer was at 100% concentration for clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and 100% for environmental isolate of Micrococcus luteus. Both environmental isolates of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus megathium were at 80% concentration for 2sure hand sanitizer. The hand sanitizer carex had 100% minimum inhibitory concentration for both clinical and environmental isolate of Bacillus megathium while for dettol hand sanitizer clinical and environmental isolate of Staphylococcus aureus as well as environmental isolate of Bacillus subtilis showed 100% minimum inhibitory concentration. From this study the minimum bactericidal concentration of test hand sanitizer on test isolates showed that 2sure and carex where bactericidal to environmental isolates of Bacillus megathium at 80% and 100% concentration respectively. Bacteria susceptibility to antibacterial effect varied across brand in a close- dependent manner. Thus good hygiene practices with effective products (such as hand sanitizers) should be employed to curb the transmission of pathogens in hands to reduce infection and prevent diseases.
