Abstract:

Background: Motorcycle taxis are a common mode of transportation in Mwanza, Tanzania. However, their frequent and shared use poses a risk for microbial colonization, which can contribute to the transmission of infectious diseases. Negative health effects can arise from inadequate sanitation, which can expose people to fecal contamination through a variety of environmental pathways. Sanitation interventions can be focused on the exposure pathways that have the biggest potential to improve public health by taking into account the relative relevance of each pathway(1).

Objectives: To investigate and measure the extent of exposure that motorcycle taxi drivers in Mwanza, Tanzania have to fecal bacteria.

Methods: This was a cross sectional study that was conducted among 195 motorcycle riders in Mwanza, Tanzania. Sterile swab containing stuart transport media was used to collect samples from the surface of motorcycle, Sample was cultured by inoculation into Blood Agar (BA), for isolation of Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria, and in MacConkey agar (MCA) for isolation of Gram-negative bacteria. Data on potential risk factors, such as frequency of cleaning, use of protective gears, health and hygiene practices, presence of sanitation facilities and frequency of contact with contaminated surfaces were also collected through structured interviews with the motorcycle taxi drivers. Data was analyzed by using SPSS(Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) to calculate frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations to summarize microbial prevalence and Conduct Chi-square tests to assess associations between microbial colonization and potential risk factors.

Results: In this research, it showed a significant colonization of bacterias on the motorcycle Surfaces (handles and passengers seats) of about 61.8% which were isolate obtained apart from normal flora which was 38.2%.

Conclusion: This study highlights the significant public health risk posed by microbial colonization on motorcycle taxis in Mwanza. The findings underscore the need for improved hygiene practices among motorcycle taxi operators and increased public awareness about the potential health risks to reduce the risk of microbial transmission and safeguard public health.