The Risk of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Associated With Disposed Face Mask From The Environment

Azura, Osman (2022) The Risk of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Associated With Disposed Face Mask From The Environment. [Final Year Project Report] (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Face masks are an essential and commonly used personal protective equipment (PPE) for protection and prevention against the spread of respiratory diseases. Improper disposal of face masks to the environment is one of the concerning issues since the outbreak of Covid 19 pandemic while antibiotic resistance in bacteria is already a constant issue addressed in the health and science field. This study investigates the risks possessed by antibiotic resistant bacteria identified on the disposed face mask. Disk diffusion method was applied for antibiotic susceptibility testing using 8 different antibiotic disks and 16S rRNA sequencing was used to identify the bacteria present. Most bacteria identified were resistant to Penicillin G (92.86%, 13 isolates), Vancomycin (50%, 7 isolates) and Erythromycin (42.86%, 6 isolates). Bacteria with the most multiple antibiotic resistance are Acinetobacter sp., Acinetobacter baumannii and Kurthia sp.. This study has revealed that most bacteria isolated from the disposed face masks shows multiple resistance to antibiotics indicating the risk associated with face mask from the environment. Therefore, the public should be educated on the risk associated with face mask from the environment and it should be properly disposed.

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