title: Isolation of antibiotic-resistant pathogenic and potentially pathogenic bacteria from carpets of mosques in Tripoli, Libya.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Isolation of potentially pathogenic bacteria from carpets in hospitals has been reported earlier, but not from carpets in mosques. The aim of the present study is to determine the pathogenic and potentially pathogenic bacteria that may exist on the carpets of mosques in Tripoli, Libya.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dust samples from carpets were collected from 57 mosques in Tripoli. Samples were examined for pathogenic bacteria using standard bacteriological procedures. Susceptibility of isolated bacteria to antimicrobial agents was determined by the disc-diffusion method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of dust samples examined, Salmonella spp. was detected in two samples (3.5%, 1 in group B and 1 in group C1), Escherichia coli in 16 samples (28.1%), Aeromonas spp. in one sample (1.8%), and Staphylococcus aureus in 12 samples (21.1%). Multiple drug resistance was observed in >16.7% of E. coli and in 25% of S. aureus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contamination of carpets in mosques of Tripoli with antibiotic-resistant pathogenic and potentially pathogenic bacteria may pose a health risk to worshipers, particularly, the very young, the old and the immunecompromised. Worshipers are encouraged to use personal praying mats when praying in mosques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Fateh University, Tripoli, Libya.
authors.forename: Amal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahouma
authors.forename: Abdunabi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elghamoudi
authors.forename: Halima
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nashnoush
authors.forename: Khalifa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Belhaj
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tawil
authors.forename: Khalifa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sifaw Ghenghesh