Desta, Kassu(BSc, MSc, Associate professor, PhD)Hailu, Melese (BSc, MSc, PhD Fellow, Assistant professor)Negeho, Hiko2021-11-092023-11-062021-11-092023-11-062021-09http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/28576Background: Money is the items most commonly passed from hand to hand and can contaminate. Simultaneous handling of food and such contaminated currency could result in foodborne infection, and cause of food poisoning. Microorganisms commonly present on banknotes include S. aureus, E. coli, Klebsiella spp., Streptococcus, Acetobacter spp., Bacillus spp., Salmonella spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Enterobacter spp. handling of food and money by meat butchers, Fruit and Juice servers, and waiters, or vendors can have serious consequences as the food they serve is ready to eat. Objective: To determine the Magnitude of Bacterial contamination of Ethiopian paper notes and coins currency and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern from food handlers in Nifas Silk Lafto Sub-City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2020/2021. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 15, 2021 to May 30, 2021 in NSL Sub-city. The sample of currency was randomly collected from butchers, fruit and juice houses, hotels and restaurants. A general of 200 Ethiopian paper cash and coins were collected aseptically into sterile polythene bags and Culturing by inoculated on blood agar, MacConkey agar and chocolate agar. Then isolated bacteria were assessed for Gram reaction, and conducting biochemical tests. Statistical data analysis involved descriptive analysis of bacterial isolates. Results: A general of 200 Ethiopian paper cash and coins were analyzed for bacterial contamination. 287 different bacteria were isolated from 183 (91.5%) currencies. Types of bacteria isolated from the notes were Coagulase-negative staphylococci (51.60%), Bacillus species (12.20%), S. aureus (8.70%), Entrobacter spp. (8.0%), Citrobactor spp. (3.50%), Klebsella spp. (2.80%), Shigella spp. (2.80%), Serratia (2.40), Streptococcus spp. (1.70), E. coli (1.40%), Salmonella spp. (1.40), Pseudomonas (1.40), Proteus spp. (0.70), and Acitinobacter spp. (0.30). The highest resistance rates in gram-positive bacteria were against penicillin, erythromycin and clindamycin, whereas ampicillin was the most resistance gram-negative bacteria. Conclusion: Ethiopian paper money and coins currency reported that confirmed currency might be a vector playing an important role in the transmission of pathogenic bacteria in the community. Potentially pathogenic bacteria that are highly resistant to the most widely used antibiotics and are a threat to public health.en-USBacterial contaminations, Ethiopia, paper currency, coins currency, antimicrobial susceptibility, food handlers.Thesis