2016-08-20 22:57:07
Rafat Alam, Md. Ali Asif Noor, ASM Abdullah, North South University
If we ask people what is the most important and most valuable thing to lead a person’s life, about 95% of people will answer that it is the ‘money’. But, those people do have any idea about the fact that this Money is the most dangerous thing in their day-to-day life which they are carrying with. Surprised? Yes, you should be. But, you will not, when you will know the fact that money is the main culprit which is causing the maximum amount of infections inside the human body.
If some of this money is contaminated with pathogenic bacterias, there is potential to spread these microorganisms. It has been proved that these bacterias can spread from person to person via contact with fomites. Money is commonly and routinely passed among individuals. Thus, bacteria could be spread on the surface of the money. Money can be contaminated by droplets during coughing, sneezing, touching with previously contaminated hands or other materials and placement on the dirty surface. It is commonly handled by various categories of people during the transaction. Contamination of objects by pathogenic microorganisms is of much public health concern as contaminated materials can be sources of transmitting pathogens.
In research conducted a few years ago on hundred paper currency notes belong to all the notes and denominations obtained from different chosen occupational groups in Dhaka City, Bangladesh revealed active participation of some life-threatening bacterias including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus Subtillis, Pseudomonas Aurigonosa, Vibrio cholera etc. One hundred and sixty-nine bacterial isolates were recovered belonging to these selected seven species. So, it is clearly shown that Money is commonly contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms and this contamination may play a significant role in the transmission of potentially harmful microorganisms or different diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, and skin infections and possess antibiotic resistance.
If we want to prevent this situation one suggestion can be made to peoples to improve their personal health consciousness by washing hands after handling of money notes, taking no foods even snacks after touching money notes, avoiding using saliva during the counting of money notes, avoiding the baby to handle money notes etc. So, great care should be taken during the handling of money and the preparation and handling of food to avoid cross-contamination.
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