Antibacterial Activity of Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers on Some Clinical Bacterial Isolates

This study was carried out to investigate the antibacterial activities of commercially available alcohol-based handsanitizers (2Sure, Dettol and Carex) on some clinical bacterial isolates. The isolates were obtained from the laboratory stock culture of University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City. Two Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and four Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus spp.) were used for the assay.The test organisms were subjected to different concentrations of the handsanitizers from 20 % to 100 %. The result showed that the handsanitizers used showed variable bacteriostatic and bacteriocidal activities against the test organisms. Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were susceptible to all the test handsanitizers with Staphylococcus aureus having the highest diameter of zone of inhibition (23.33± 2.03mm) using 2Sure handsanitizer. The highest inhibitory activity was exhibited by 2sure handsanitizer with highest values of diameter of zone of inhibition for all the test isolates except Bacillus subtilis which was resistant. The handsantizers showed inhibitory or bacteriocidal activity at a minimum concentration of 100% for the susceptible organism except 2sure which had an MIC of 80% for Pseudomonas aeruginosa