Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical role of household hygiene in preventing infectious diseases. This study investigates the prevalence and characterization of bacteria in kitchen environments, focusing on the effectiveness of 70% ethanol disinfection. Samples were collected from five areas in the kitchens of 10 households both pre- and post-disinfection. Detailed microbial analysis revealed significant reductions in colony counts post-disinfection. A total of five bacterial pathogens viz. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella spp., and Enterobacter were identified across kitchen area types. Each kitchen area contained at least one contaminated surface. The total number of bacterial pathogens in pre-disinfected kitchen areas was significantly higher as compared to the post-disinfected regions with 70% alcohol highlighting the need for regular and effective disinfection practices to minimize health risks associated with household microbial contamination. Results suggest that low-income consumers may be at risk of foodborne pathogen exposure from contaminated home kitchen surfaces and that regular disinfection with 70% ethanol effectively reduces microbial contamination in household kitchens. Key words: microbial contamination, household disinfection, ethanol efficacy, kitchen hygiene, public health
Sharma et al. (Thu,) studied this question.