title: Microbial contamination of "in use" bar soap in dental clinics.
abstract: Bar soap from 18 different dental clinics were investigated for microbial contamination, while it was "in-use". Of the 32 samples obtained from the bar soap, 100% yielded positive culture. A total of 8 different genera of organisms were isolated. Each bar soap was found to harbor 2-5 different genera of micro organisms. Heavily used soap had more micro organisms compared to less used soap. The microbial load of the "in-use" bar soap constituted a mixed flora of gram positive, gram negative, aerobes, anaerobes, and fungi. The results indicate that the bar soap under "in-use" condition is a reservoir of microorganisms and handwashing with such a soap may lead to spread of infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, KLES Institute of Dental Sciences, Belgaum. pradnyahegde@yahoo.com
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Hegde
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bhat
mesh_terms: D001234:Aspergillus niger / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001407:Bacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D006801:Humans; D007709:Klebsiella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011425:Propionibacterium acnes / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012915:Soaps; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D012915:Soaps