en Environmental Health, Sciences, and Engineering Environmental Health, Sciences, and Engineering پژوهشي Original Article <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div class="WordSection1"><span style="page:WordSection1"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height:normal"><strong>Background:</strong> This study evaluated the bacterial contamination and the antibiogram of bacterial isolates in Intensive Care Units in Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.</span><br> <span style="line-height:normal"><strong>Methods:</strong> Sterile swab sticks moistened with sterile water were used to swab the surfaces of the fomites, hands and anterior nares of healthcare workers and the samples were sent to the laboratory for analysis. Plasmid preparations was done with a QIAprep Spin Plasmid Kit. Antibiotic discs of prior resistance were aseptically introduced into the Muller Hinton agar plates, ensuring that the discs made appropriate contact with the surface of the agar. These were incubated for 24 hrs at 37&ordm;C after which plates were examined for cured colonies.</span><br> <span style="line-height:normal"><strong>Results: </strong>The common bacterial isolates were <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, 39(43.2%), <i>Escherichia coli</i>, 16(17.9%), <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp, 10(11.2%), Coagulase-negative Staphylococci, 7(7.8%). Antibiotic sensitivity of the bacterial isolates was carried out using the disc diffusion method. Gram-negative bacterial isolates were more sensitive to Ofloxacin, Peflacine, Ciprofloxacin, and Streptomycin. Gram-positive bacterial isolates were more sensitive to Ciprofloxacin, Gentamicin, Rifampicin, Erythromycin, and Levofloxacin. However, <i>Enterobacter</i> spp. and Coagulase-negative Staphylococci were resistant to the drugs. The biofilm formation potential was observed in 41(46.0%) bacterial isolates.&nbsp; Extended Spectrum Lactamase (ESBL) producers among <i>E. coli</i> isolates was 56.2%, while <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> and <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp. isolates were 33.3% and 40%, respectively, Plasmid profile was carried out on some of the bacterial isolates. Six <i>E. coli</i> isolates had plasmid size between 50-400 base pair; five <i>S. aureus</i> isolates had plasmid size between 35-150 base pair, two<i> Proteus</i> spp. and two <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp. isolates had no plasmid. &nbsp;</span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height:normal"><strong>Conclusion:</strong> This study revealed the resistance of bacterial isolates after currying.</span></span></span></span></div> <div aria-label="Page Break" class="cke_pagebreak" contenteditable="false" data-cke-display-name="pagebreak" data-cke-pagebreak="1" style="page-break-after:always" title="Page Break"></div></div> <div aria-label="Page Break" class="cke_pagebreak" contenteditable="false" data-cke-display-name="pagebreak" data-cke-pagebreak="1" style="page-break-after:always" title="Page Break"></div> Bacterial isolates, Plasmid profile, Antibiogram, Intensive care unit, 10 14 http://jhehp.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-484-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Ebubechi Uloma Okey-kalu ulomamgbeokwere@yahoo.com 100319475328460011800 0000000248723801 Yes Department of Microbiology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike Abia State Nigeria. Emmanuel Nwankwo emmaonwubiko@yahoo.com 100319475328460011801 0000000240250886 No Department of Microbiology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike Abia State Nigeria. Joan James Onyekwere joanjamesonyekwere@gmail.com 100319475328460011802 0000000286565189 No Department of Microbiology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike Abia State Nigeria. Mary Kalu uchemaryk973@gmail.com 100319475328460011803 0000000257387934 No Department of Microbiology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike Abia State Nigeria.