Infectious Diseases, Prevention and Control

Introduction & Aim: Few recently published data suggest that restaurant menu cards are 100 times dirtier than toilet covers and can act as a vehicle for pathogens. Many microorganisms present are associated with infection, spoilage and contamination of food in restaurant, dhabas, street stalls and other sites. Menus can act as a possible vector of certain foodborne diseases if not cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis. The main aim of the present study was to demonstrate the actual bacterial contamination present on their surface. Method: We collected swabs from different sites of menus from various restaurant, dhabas and street stalls. Then we isolated bacterial strains by using selective media, morphological characteristics, biochemical identifications, etc. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done by the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method using standard procedures. Result: We found potent pathogens from the distinct sites of different menus. In the antibiotics Kirby Bauer (disk diffusion) test, S. aureus displayed inhibition zone against some antibiotic and they are resistant against by Penicillin, Oxacillin, Ofloxacin, but sensitive to Erythromycin. We also tested Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas also, in which only a few antibiotics showed resistant against isolates. Conclusion: The study emphasizes on the microorganisms which are present on different sites of restaurant menus due to which the society is suffering from serious health hazards. The study also showed that restaurant menus may serve as vehicles for pathogens and hence present a public health issue. This result will help guide restaurant managers establish effective cleaning protocols to prevent further transmission of disease and improve food safety for the general public.