The presence and spectrum of bacteria colonising mobile phones of staff and caregivers in high disease burden paediatric and neonatal wards in an urban teaching hospital in Durban, South Africa

Abstract

Background: Hospital acquired infections are on the increase worldwide. A possible source for transmission is the presence of microorganisms on mobile phones which are carried by increasing numbers of medical and nursing staff, students, and caregivers.Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed. Samples were obtained from medical and nursing staff, students, and caregivers from the paediatric wards (85 beds), and the neonatal unit (40 beds) at King Edward VIII Hospital (KEH), Durban. Mobile phones of participants were sampled, with sterile swabs, without prior warning. The swabs were transported promptly to the laboratory and cultured onto colistin, nalidixic acid agar and MacConkey agar plates. All positive cultures were identified using standard laboratory tests.Results: Of the 100 mobile phones sampled, 30 were contaminated with bacteria. Gram-positive microorganisms were more frequently cultured than Gram-negative microorganisms (29 vs. 7). Significantly more caregivers had contaminated phones (54.17% vs. 22.37%, p value = 0.003). Caregivers’ phones were predominantly contaminated with Staphylococcus spp. (41.67%). More phones in the general wards (37.5%) and nursery (32.5%) were contaminated compared to the gastroenteritis ward (10%).Conclusions: Our results indicate that one third of the mobile phones carried in the paediatric wards are contaminated. Caregivers had the highest likelihood of carrying mobile phones that were contaminated, with the lowest rate among the nursing staff. Caregivers’ phones were also more likely to have multiple microorganisms. The lowest rate of contamination was found in the gastroenteritis ward, possibly due to a heightened awareness of the need for handwashing.