Self-ear cleaning is the insertion of objects into the ear canal. It is a widespread practice that has the potential to compromise ear integrity as a natural self-cleansing mechanism and the risk of possible microbial infections. This study aimed to determine the bacterial flora associated with grass and feathers used for self-ear cleaning. A total of 10 samples (5 Grass and 5 Feathers) were gotten from two different locations in Port Harcourt Local Government Area; Mile3 Market and Rivers State University. The samples were packed into ten different sterile, transparent zip-lock bags. They were properly labeled and transported to the Microbiology Laboratory of the Rivers State University for proper analysis. The result showed that the total heterotrophic bacteria count (THBC) of grass and feather ranged from 2.4×10-5 to 6.5×10-5 and 1.3×10-6 to 2.3×10-6, respectively. A total of 31 bacterial isolates belonging to five (5) genera comprising both Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms were identified. The bacterial flora associated with grass showed a predominance of Bacillus spp. (38.8%), Escherichia coli (33.3%), Pseudomonas sp. (11.1%), and lower occurrence of Staphylococcus devriesei (5.6%), Staphylococcus arlettae (5.6%), and Micrococcus sp (5.6%). The predominant organisms isolated from feathers were Escherichia coli (23.1%), Pseudomonas spp. (23.1%), Bacillus sp(15.4%), while various Staphylococcus species: S. pasteuri (7.7%), S. lutrae(7.7%), S. jettensis(7.7%), S. aureus (7.7%), and Micrococcus species(7.7%) had lower occurrence. The antibiotic susceptibility results showed that Gram-negative isolates such as E. coli showed susceptibility to ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and trimethoprim while being resistant to ceftazidime, augmentin, and ceporex. Gram-positive isolates like Bacillus sp. showed resistance to ceftriaxone and ceftazidime while being susceptible to levofloxacin and gentamicin. Grass and feathers harbor a lot of microorganisms, which may pose lots of health challenges to humans due to bacterial infection. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid using grass and feathers for self-ear cleaning, as they are non- sterile and can lead to damage of the external auditory canal. Seeking medical help should also be encouraged, and any pain, discharge, or hearing loss should prompt medical evaluation rather than using grass and feathers.
