The Ghanaian currency notes and coins: A medium of exchange for pathogenic microbes

The microbial load of the “old” and “new” Ghanaian Cedi notes and coins obtained from vari-ous sources in Cape Coast, Ghana was studied using the dilution plate technique between September 2005 - March 2006 and September 2008 - March 2009. Isolations were made on Mac-Conkey agar for coliforms and other enteric bacteria, Plate Count agar for total viable bacteria and Sabouraud agar for fungi. Generally, the notes carried significantly higher microbial loads than the Cedi coins (p 0.05) be-tween bacterial loads isolated from the “old” notes and coins on one hand and “new” Cedi notes and coins on the other hand suggesting that the Ghanaian currency notes and coins were being mishandled by majority of the populace. The presence of various types of bacteria and fungi on the “Cedi” notes and coins suggests that they may act as vehicles for pathogens of some communicable diseases.

[1]  F. I. Okungbowa,et al.  Fungal flora of Nigerian currency notes in circulation in Benin City, Nigeria , 2010, Indian Journal of Microbiology.

[2]  P. Feglo,et al.  Bacterial load on Ghanaian currency notes , 2010 .

[3]  S. Awe,et al.  Bacteriological quality of some Nigerian currencies in circulation , 2010 .

[4]  A. Kawo,et al.  Prevalence and public health implications of the microbial load of abused Naira notes , 2010 .

[5]  D. R. Joshi,et al.  Microbial Load on Paper/Polymer Currency and Coins , 2010 .

[6]  Prson Gautam,et al.  Risk of Handling Paper Currency in Circulation Chances of Potential Bacterial Transmittance , 2010 .

[7]  P. Morais,et al.  Isolation and Characterization of Bacteria Resistant to Metallic Copper Surfaces , 2010, Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

[8]  B. Malau.  A Survey of Parasite Cysts, Eggs and Bacteria on Nigerian Currency in FCT, Abuja , 2009 .

[9]  C. Uneke,et al.  Potential for parasite and bacteria transmission by paper currency in Nigeria. , 2007, Journal of environmental health.

[10]  T. Amadou,et al.  Hygienic status assessment of dish washing waters, utensils, hands and pieces of money from street food processing sites in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) , 2006 .

[11]  Monica Cheesbrough,et al.  District Laboratory Practice in Tropical Countries: Acknowledgements , 2005 .

[12]  K. Basavarajappa,et al.  Study of bacterial, fungal, and parasitic contaminaiton of currency notes in circulation. , 2005, Indian journal of pathology & microbiology.

[13]  J. Moore,et al.  Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) identification of the culturable bacterial flora on monetary coinage from 17 currencies. , 2005, Journal of environmental health.

[14]  P. Ender,et al.  Bacterial Contamination of Paper Currency , 2002, Southern medical journal.

[15]  K. Talaro,et al.  Foundations in Microbiology: Basic Principles. , 1996 .

[16]  E. Cooper.  Intestinal parasitoses and the modern description of diseases of poverty. , 1991, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

[17]  H. Benson.  Microbiological Applications: A Laboratory Manual in General Microbiology , 1985 .

[18]  B. Abrams,et al.  Dirty money. , 1972, JAMA.

[19]  W. F. Harrigan,et al.  Laboratory methods in microbiology , 1966 .