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...