Recent inventory on parasitic contamination of Nigeria currency notes in Nsukka metropolis, Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

It is established that parasites can spread on the surface of banknotes as they are passed among individuals of different occupations and hygiene level. The Nigerian currency notes in Nsukka were evaluated for parasitic contamination. This was aimed at assessing the parasites that contaminate Nigerian currency notes. A total of 200 notes comprising the denominations currently in use were collected between March to June, 2021 from different occupational groups. The notes were collected into clean polyethylene bags and transported to the laboratory for analysis. The analysis was done following standard procedures. Out of the 200 notes analysed, 75(37.5%) were found to be contaminated with different parasites. Parasites isolated from the currency notes were Ascaris lumbricoides ova, Enterobius ova, Entamoeba histolytica cysts, hookworm larvae and unidentified cysts. A. lumbricoides recorded the highest prevalence, followed by E. histolytica and unidentified cysts, the difference was significant (p<0.05). Currency notes collected from butchers were most contaminated while the least was recorded among cosmetic shopkeepers. The study also revealed that paper notes were significantly more contaminated than the polymer counterpart (p<0.05). The findings from this study indicated that currency notes serve as routes for parasitic infections, hence, people should stop the practice of wetting their fingers with their tongues while counting money and thorough hand washing with detergent is advised after handling money. It is also advocated that the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should be embraced to reduce the incidence of parasitic infection through regular handling of money.