_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: ofonimejohn@uniuyo.edu.ng; Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology 24(6): 36-45, 2021; Article no.JABB.71595 ISSN: 2394-1081 Bacteriological Assessment of Automated Teller and Point of Sales Machine User Interface in Uyo Metropolis, Nigeria Ofonime U. M. John 1* , Christiana E. Asuquo 1 and Mfon M. Akpan 1 1 Department of Microbiology, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration among all authors. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/JABB/2021/v24i630220 Editor(s): (1) Dr. Maria Serrano, University Miguel Hernández, Spain. Reviewers: (1) Attah Friday, Federal University of Technology, Nigeria. (2) María Gabriela Di Barbaro, National University of Catamarca, Argentina. Complete Peer review History: https://www.sdiarticle4.com/review-history/71595 Received 18 May 2021 Accepted 22 July 2021 Published 26 July 2021 ABSTRACT The Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and Point of Sales (POS) machine user interface of different banks, schools, hospitals, restaurants/eateries, shopping malls and petrol/gas stations in Uyo metropolis were bacteriologically assessed in the dry and wet seasons using cultural technique. The result of fomites key pads indicate total heterotrophic bacteria counts (THBC) was in the order: Banks > Hospitals > Schools > Petrol/Gas stations > shopping malls > Restaurants/Eateries in both seasons. There was an increase in the bacterial counts of the fomites from all locations in the wet season compared to the dry season and the difference significant (p = 0.05). The THBC from ATMs in banks, hospitals and schools ranged from 5.6 ± 0.1 to 7.8 ± 0.6 Log₁₀CFU/cm 2 and from POS 3.4 ± 0.3 to 5.0 ± 0.2 Log₁₀CFU/cm 2 ) for Petrol/Gas stations, shopping malls and Restaurants/Eateries in the wet season. The dry season revealed THBC range of 4.1± 0.6 to 6.4 ± 0.3 Log₁₀CFU/cm 2 for ATMs and 2.6 ± 0.8 to 3.8 ± 0.1 Log₁₀CFU/cm 2 for POS. Organisms associated with the fomites were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and species of Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Proteus, Streptococcus, Salmonella, Shigella, Micrococcus, Vibrio and Klebsiella. The highest and least frequency of occurrence in the dry season indicated Micrococcus (17.2%) and Vibrio (1.4%) in relation to Staphylococcus aureus (18.2%) and Proteus sp. (2.8%) in the wet season. The Gram-positive organisms exhibited high and low susceptibility to Gentamycin and Augmentin compared to Ofloxacin and Amoxicillin respectively in Gram-negative bacteria. The Original Research Article