Antibacterial Activity of some Antibiotics and Disinfectants against Airborne Bacteria Isolated from Restaurants in Yola

The aim of this study was to determine the antibacterial activity of some antibiotic and disinfectant against airborne bacteria from restaurants. Airborne bacteria were isolated from five different restaurants using open plate method and were characterized using standard microbiological techniques. The susceptibility of the isolates to some antibiotics and disinfectants was determined using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method and well diffusion. The predominant bacteria identified in the air of the restaurants were S. aureus 9 (45%), Micrococcus spp. 5 (25%), Bacillus subtilis 4 (20 %) and P.  aeruginosa 2 (10 %). The results showed that the highest and lowest average densities of bacteria for both morning and afternoon release were for 71 and 86 CFU/ m3 and 37 and 46 CFU / m3 respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility test results revealed that S. aureus was susceptible to Ciprofloxaxin (88.9%), Ampiclox (66.7%), Amoxicillin (66.7%), Rocephin (55.6%) and Gentamycin (55.6%), but resistant to streptomycin and erythromycin. Micrococcus spp was susceptible to Pefloxacin (60%), Erythromycin (100%), Ciprofloxacin (100%), and Streptomycin (80%), but were resistance to Gentamycin, Zinnacet, and Co-trimoxazole. Bacillus subtillis were susceptible to Amoxicillin 4 (100 %), Pefloxacin, Gentamycin, Streptomycin and Ampiclox (50 %), and Zinnacet (75 %), but were resistance to Rocephin, Erythromycin and Co-trimoxazole. P. aeruginosa were susceptible to Ciprofloxacin (100%) and Augmentin (50%) but resistant to Gentamycin, Pefloxacin, ofloxacin, streptomycin, Chloramphenicol, Co-trimoxazole, Sparfloxacin, Amoxicilin and Rocephin. All the bacteria species showed multiple drug resistance. Disinfectants (Hypo and Dettol) showed antibacterial activity with varying magnitudes (50-100% concentrations but showed no efficacy at concentrations lower than 25%. The study identifies the presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria in the air of restaurants with varying degree of antimicrobial susceptibilities which may pose a serious health hazard to both students and workers.