Assessment of Colonisation and Multi-drug Resistance of Bacterial Pathogens under Fingernails

Our hands come into contact with countless surfaces on a day to day basis, exposing them to a plethora of microorganisms. According to BCCDC, 80% of common infections are spread by hands. Although hand washing can reduce the presence of bacteria on hands substantially, it is not guaranteed that they no longer harbour pathogens especially on hard to reach areas such as under the fingernails. Oftentimes, the subungual regions of the nails are commonly missed during hand washing which consequently, may retain bacteria that can be ingested or transmitted. It is imperative to test the zone which is least targeted when hand washing; hence, this experiment was conducted with the purpose of identifying the bacteria under the fingernails and investigating their presence even after hand washing. Enumeration of bacterial load under the fingernails before and after hand washing was done and identification of different bacteria and their antibiotic resistance capabilities were determined.