The Relative Frequency of Bacterial Colonization on the Surfaces of Toys in Kindergartens of Yazd

  Kindergartens are the first social environments where children are directly exposed to possible contaminations from other children. Factors such as having uncontrolled urination, putting hand, toys, and different objects into the mouth, and sharing objects with other children facilitate the spread of bacteria. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of bacterial contamination of toys in kindergartens of Yazd city, Iran. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 324 samples of toys made of either cloth, wood, or plastic were collected from kindergartens at three regions of Yazd, Iran. The swab samples obtained from toys' surface were cultured directly on the bacteriologic culture media blood agar and eosin methylene blue. Specific culture medium with biochemical tests and diagnostic disks were used to determine the genus and species of bacteria. Chi-square test was run for statistical analysis of data. The p value of < 0.05 was considered as the level of significant difference. The most common bacterial colonization of toys found in the kindergartens was Staphylococcus epidermidis (48.3%). Toys made from cloth (with 3914 CFU/cm2) and the municipality region 3 (with 4645 CFU/cm2) showed the highest amount of contamination among the toy materials and different regions, respectively. Assessment of common contaminations in kindergartens may help the authorities to determine the possible causes of pediatric infections and provide them with a more comprehensive knowledge about the personal as well as environmental hygiene. So, by identification of these contaminations, we can modify the underlying factors, reduce the pollutions, and improve the health of children.