Isolation and Diagnosis of Bacterial Species Found Under Artificial and Natural Long Fingernails in Women

Abstract

Background: Long, unclean nails may facilitate or serve as a conduit for bacterial spread. Even after thorough washing, bacteria may remain in the nail folds and under the nail.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to identify pathogenic bacteria associated with short, long, natural, and artificial nails in women in Mosul. Additionally, the study aimed to assess the antibiotic susceptibility of the isolated bacteria.

Materials and Methods: Sterile dental swabs were used to collect 80 samples from 40 women in Mosul between November 2024 and February 2025.

Results: The study showed that all women (100%) were infected with bacteria. Bacillus spp. constituted 41.25% of the total, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (15%), Escherichia coli (13.75%), Streptococcus spp. (8.75%), Klebsiella spp. (5%), unidentified bacteria (5%), Pseudomonas spp. and Shigella spp. (3.75%), and Salmonella spp. (1.25%), which were the second most prevalent bacteria. The proportion of bacteria found on artificial nails was 65%, compared to 35% on natural nails. Higher bacterial counts (7×10³) were observed on long nails (>2 cm) compared to short nails (<0.5 cm, 1.2×10³). OfX, AZM, and AM were effective against Bacillus spp. and Staphylococcus aureus, while Gram-negative bacteria were more resistant.

Conclusions: These results suggested that nails may constitute a suitable environment for the proliferation of a number of bacteria and may contribute to the transmission of drug-resistant microorganisms.