Abstract

The role of hospital surfaces (including surfaces in food preparation areas) in the transmission of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) has been long recognized; however,evidence regarding this critical information is not well documented. This study was conducted at a typical district hospital in the Free State Province of South Africa. Using swabs, surface samples were collected from nine kitchen areas, quantified and identified using the MALDI-TOF MS and API. Fungal counts (1 x 10³ to 2.3 x 10⁵ cfu.cm^-2) were higher compared to bacterial counts (1.5 x 10³ to 1.1 x 10⁵ cfu.cm^-2). A total of 25 bacterial species and 14 fungal species were identified from hospital kitchen surfaces using the MALDI-TOF MS. Candida was the most common fungal genus identified represented by 11 species while Bacillus was the most common bacterial genus isolated represented by 7 species. The presence of species from the genera Acinetobacter,Enterobacter, Pseudomonas and Candida amongst others on kitchen surfaces could have serious consequences as they have been implicated in various studies as probable causes of hospital acquired infections. The study highlights the need to ensure proper cleaning of working surfaces in the kitchen as well as stringent surveillance and monitoring to ensure the minimal contamination of food products prepared for patients.

Key words: Hospital-acquired infection, kitchen, MALDI Biotyper, surface swabs, food safety.