Bacterial Contamination of Surfaces and Antibiotic Susceptibility Profile of Strains Isolated in the Hemodialysis Units of Two Referral Hospitals in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Abstract

Aims: To describe bacterial growth on selected inert surfaces in the haemodialysis units of two referral hospitals in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and summarise the reported antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of recovered organisms. Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional environmental microbiology study. Place and duration: Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital (CHUY) and Yaoundé General Hospital (HGY), Cameroon, October 2023 to June 2024. Methods: A total of 146 swab samples were obtained from selected frequently touched environmental surfaces and medical equipment. Samples were cultured following broth enrichment; isolates were characterised using Gram staining and conventional biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility was evaluated by disc diffusion using the 2023 CA-SFM/EUCAST framework. Results: Of the 146 swabs, 113 yielded bacterial growth (77.4%). Sampling comprised 37 swabs from CHUY and 109 from HGY. The reported isolate inventory included 154 organisms; the displayed genus chart accounts for 150 of these, including  97 staphylococci (24 at CHUY and 73 at HGY). The phenotype summary included 25 isolates labelled methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (16.2% of all 154 reported isolates) and two labelled extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producers (1.3%). The original surface-category summary covered 140 of 146 swabs, limiting interpretation of the category-specific distribution. Conclusion: Frequent bacterial recovery was observed on the selected haemodialysis surfaces. Staphylococci predominated among organisms represented in the genus-level summary, and antimicrobial-resistance phenotypes were recorded. These descriptive findings support careful attention to infection-prevention practices, but do not establish clinical transmission or infection risk