Mobile Phones Of Healthcare Workers Research Articles

Combination of 70% ethanol and 2% potassium aluminum sulfate as a modified antibacterial disinfectant

Background: Mobile phones used by health-care workers can harbor pathogenic bacteria. Effective techniques are therefore needed to prevent bacterial transmission through mobile phones, including the development of new or modified disinfectants. Methods: In total, 100 swabs were collected from the mobile phones of health-care workers. All samples were directly cultured and incubated for 24 h at 37°C. The samples were divided into two groups (n = 50 each): one disinfected with 70% ethanol alone and the other with 70% ethanol containing 2% potassium aluminum sulfate (alum). Results: Bacterial growth before disinfection with 70% ethanol alone was observed in 92% of samples, which decreased to 66% after disinfection. With 70% ethanol plus 2% alum, bacterial growth before disinfection was 88%, decreasing to 16% after disinfection. The mean number of colonies before disinfection with 70% ethanol alone was 22.80 ± 10.38, while after disinfection, it was 3.48 ± 1.40 (P < 0.00001). Similarly, the number of colonies before disinfection with 70% ethanol plus 2% alum was 19.84 ± 9.34, while that after disinfection was 0.68 ± 0.33 (P < 0.00001). Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the combination of 70% ethanol with 2% alum to enhance the antimicrobial efficacy of ethanol as a new modified disinfectant.

Role of Mobile Phone Use in Spreading Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria Implicated in Causation of Diarrheal and Nosocomial Infections at Kitale County Hospital.

Rapid advancement and penetration of mobile phone technology has made the devices indispensable professional, social, and networking tools. However, the impact of their use in the spread of multi-drug resistant diarrheal-causing bacteria is less understood. The aim of this study was to determine the practices of mobile phone use among healthcare workers, paediatric patients' caretakers, and paediatric inpatients with diarrhoea at Kitale County Referral Hospital, and identify the associated risk of spread of bacteria, including multi-drug resistant strains on the mobile phones. Questionnaires were administered to research participants and swabs were collected from mobile phones of consenting healthcare workers and paediatric patients' caretakers for further analysis. Stool samples were also collected from paediatric study participants diagnosed with gastroenteritis. Culture was done following standard microbiological procedures. Isolate identification, antibiotic susceptibility profile, and MDR phenotypes were tested using the Vitek 2 Compact microbiology analyzer. Gram-negative MDR isolates were then screened for selected carbapenemase genes using multiplex real-time PCR. Only 38% of healthcare workers sanitize their handsets during or after work. The most common mobile phone bacterial isolate was Enterococcus faecalis (28.95%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (18.42%). 58% of stool sample isolates were Vibrio cholera 01 serotype followed by Escherichia coli 0157.H7 (20%). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (43%) and Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus (6%). BlaVIM was the most commonly detected gene from five isolates, including Vibrio cholera 01. The most common pathogen circulating on the mobile phones of healthcare workers and patients' caretakers at Kitale County Hospital is Enterococcus faecalis.

MICROBIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF SIGNIFICANT PATHOGENICT BACTERIA PRESENT ON MOBILE PHONES OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS THAT CAUSE NOSOCOMIAL INFECTION

Background: Mobile phones of HCWs play an important role in transmission of infection to patients and also to the health care workers, which can increase the burden of heath care. We planned this study to identify the microbiological prole of signicant pathogenic bacteria present on mobile phones of healthcare workers that cause nosocomial infection and also to assess the usefulness of 70% isopropyl alcohol for decontamination of mobile phones . Methods: 50 Heathcare workers were include in this study. 50samples were collected before decontamination and 50 samples were collected after decontaminated with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Totally 100 samples collected. samples were inoculated in the brain heart infusion broth and incubated at 370C for 24- 48 hours. Samples showing growth were further sub cultured on Blood agar and MacConkey agar. The plates were then be incubated at 37˚C for 24 hours and observed for the growth. Different biochemical tests were used for further identication. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was done according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: Among the 50healthcare workers,38 healthcare workers mobile phones were contaminated before decontamination.After decontamination,12 healthcare workers mobilephone were contaminated.

Microbial Contamination on Mobile Phones of Health-care Workers at a Tertiary Care Hospital of Northern India

Background: The use of mobile phones (MPs) in hospital halls, laboratories, intensive care units, and operating rooms is a common practice. There are no proper guidelines for the disinfection of MPs that meet hospital standards. This study investigated the bacterial contamination on MPs of health-care workers employed in tertiary healthcare Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.” Materials and Methods: One-hundred and fifty-five health-care workers (57 doctors, 50 nurses, 35 technical staff, and 21 other employees) were included in a cross-sectional study performed from January 2018 to June 2018 at the SKIMS, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. Social demographic characteristics (such as gender and occupation) and cell phone-related questions were gathered through a self-administered questionnaire (e.g., frequency of MP disinfection and use of the MP at work). Sample collection and processing were done correctly to avoid any bias. Results: Majority (79%) were working in different wards of the institute, followed by (51%) working in different laboratories and (8%) working in intensive care settings. The majority of the participants (42%) said they used their phone less than ten times per day; 33% said they used it 10–20 times/day. In terms of disinfection, 107 (69%) of the participants cleaned their MP occasionally, 31 (20%) never cleansed their phone, and just 17 (11%) regularly disinfected their phone. Out of 155 MPs sampled, 125 (80.6%) showed microbial growth, and 30 (19.4%) were free of microbial growth. Out of the total 125 positive samples, 51 (40.8%) were Gram-positive bacilli (which was considered as airborne contamination), 36 (28.8%) were Gram-positive cocci (GPC), 25 (20%) Gram-negative bacilli, 11 (8.8%) were mixed growth, and 2 (1.6%) were yeasts. Out of 36 GPC, Staphylococcus aureus was predominant, i.e., 15 (41.6%), followed by Enterococcus spp. 12 (33.3%), Coagulase-negative Staphylococci spp. 7 (19.4%), and Streptococci spp. 2 (5.5%). Conclusion: Almost all MPs were contaminated, with more than half of them harboring pathogenic microorganisms. It could pose a significant risk to both health-care personnel and patients in the form of nosocomial infections.

Metagenomic Sequencing and Reverse Transcriptase PCR Reveal That Mobile Phones and Environmental Surfaces Are Reservoirs of Multidrug-Resistant Superbugs and SARS-CoV-2.

BackgroundMobile phones of healthcare workers (HCWs) can act as fomites in the dissemination of microbes. This study was carried out to investigate microbial contamination of mobile phones of HCWs and environmental samples from the hospital unit using a combination of phenotypic and molecular methods.MethodsThis point prevalence survey was carried out at the Emergency unit of a tertiary care facility. The emergency unit has two zones, a general zone for non-COVID-19 patients and a dedicated COVID-19 zone for confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients. Swabs were obtained from the mobile phones of HCWs in both zones for bacterial culture and shotgun metagenomic analysis. Metagenomic sequencing of pooled environmental swabs was conducted. RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection was carried out.ResultsBacteria contamination on culture was detected from 33 (94.2%) mobile phones with a preponderance of Staphylococcus epidermidis (n/N = 18/35), Staphylococcus hominis (n/N = 13/35), and Staphylococcus haemolyticus (n/N = 7/35). Two methicillin-sensitive and three methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and one pan-drug-resistant carbapenemase producer Acinetobacter baumannii were detected. Shotgun metagenomic analysis showed high signature of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in mobile phone and environmental samples with preponderance of P. aeruginosa bacteriophages. Malassezia and Aspergillus spp. were the predominant fungi detected. Fourteen mobile phones and one environmental sample harbored protists. P. aeruginosa antimicrobial resistance genes mostly encoding for efflux pump systems were detected. The P. aeruginosa virulent factor genes detected were related to motility, adherence, aggregation, and biofilms. One mobile phone from the COVID-19 zone (n/N = 1/5; 20%) had positive SARS-CoV-2 detection while all other phone and environmental samples were negative.ConclusionThe findings demonstrate that mobile phones of HCWs are fomites for potentially pathogenic and highly drug-resistant microbes. The presence of these microbes on the mobile phones and hospital environmental surfaces is a concern as it poses a risk of pathogen transfer to patients and dissemination into the community.

Antibiotic resistance pattern of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli from mobile phones of healthcare workers in public hospitals in Ghana.

Introductionmobile phone plays an essential role in the lives of healthcare professionals in hospitals as far as communication is concerned. However, it can also serve as a source of nosocomial infections. This study aimed at determining the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli isolated from mobile phones used by healthcare staff working in three public hospitals in Ghana.Methodsin total, 220 swab samples were collected from 110 mobile phones of healthcare workers at a referral and two public tertiary hospitals in Ghana. Direct spreading of swab samples on agar plates was done. MacConkey agar and Baird Parker agar were used to isolate E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute´s guidelines were followed for susceptibility testing, and S. aureus strains resistant to cefoxitin were considered to be MRSA. All E. coli and MRSA isolates were tested for their susceptibility to antibiotics using European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) 2018 guidelines with its breakpoints. Obtained qualitative data were analyzed by using Microsoft Excel.Resultsof 110 mobile phones, 78 (70.9%) and 4 (3.6%) were colonized with S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. From the 78 S. aureus isolates, 22 (28%) isolates were MRSA. Fifty percent (50%) (11/22) of the MRSA isolates were multi-drug resistant, of which one isolate was resistant to all antibiotics tested. E. coli isolates had 100 resistances to both ceftriaxone and ceftazidime.Conclusionmobile phones used by healthcare workers in hospitals frequently harbor E. coli, S. aureus, MRSA and may be sources of hospital-associated infections.

Relation of Handwashing and Isolate of Bacteria from Mobile Phones of Healthcare Workers in a University Hospital

Relation of Handwashing and Isolate of Bacteria from Mobile Phones of Healthcare Workers in a University Hospital

Mobile Phones of Healthcare Workers are Possible Source of Nosocomial Infections: Evidence from Asante-Mampong Municipal Government Hospital, Ghana

Background: The users of mobile phones often contaminate them with several microflorae including viruses, fungi, and bacteria via unhygienic conditions and habits making phones a breeding ground and a tool for the transmission of infections. This study examined microbial contamination of mobile phones of health care workers (HCWs) and the risk of nosocomial infections at the Mampong Municipal Government Hospital (MMGH), Ghana.
 Methods: We employed a cross-sectional study design to characterize bacterial microflora on mobile phones of HCWs at the MMGH. A random sample of thirty-five [1] mobile phones of HCWs was swabbed for microbiological analysis from the Dental, Children, Male, Theatre and Laboratory departments. A 0.1 ml sterile buffered peptone water was used to make a uniform suspension of each sample and streaked on blood agar and MacConkey agar and incubated at 37℃ for 48 hours. Bacteria were isolated and identified using suitable laboratory and biochemical methods. Analysis of data was done using SPSS-IBM version 16.
 Results: All cell phones were contaminated with one or more species of bacteria. Cell phones from Male, Dental and Laboratory departments had 85.7%, 71.4% and 57.1% prevalence of bacterial contamination respectively while Children’s and Theatre departments each recorded 28.6%. Bacterial contaminants identified were Staphylococcus epidermidis (G+) (37%), Staphylococcus aureus (G+) (26%), E. coli (G-) (20%), Bacillus spp. (G+) (11%) and Klebsiella spp. (G-) (6%.). Apart from the Children’s Ward, E. coli was isolated at all study sites and the most prevalent (42.9%) at the Dental Unit. Klebsiella spp (G-) (28.6%) was isolated only at the Children’s ward.
 Conclusion: Mobile phones of HCWs harboured possible pathogens that could cause nosocomial infections among patients. Therefore, strict handwashing practices should be adhered to by HCWs before and after phone use before contact with the patient to reduce the risk of nosocomial infections. This has become even more relevant in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.

Healthcare Workers’ Mobile Phones as a Possible Vehicle of Nosocomial Pathogens and the Role of Different Disinfectants in their Decontamination

Background: As Mobile Phones (MPs) aren’t cleaned routinely and have been touched during patient’s examination, they may become contaminated with hospital pathogens. Objectives: Screen MPs of Health care workers (HCWs) for pathogens and verify the effect of disinfectants in their decontamination. Methods: A questionnaire was submitted by 160 HCWs in Tanta University Hospitals. Samples were taken from their MPs and subjected to pour plate counting before and after disinfection. Standard identification and antibiotic susceptibility of isolates were done. Results: Colony count was greater in MPs used while caring for patients or inside restroom, and was less in regularly cleaned MPs. All tested disinfectants reduced the colony count significantly. Pathogens were isolated from 84.38% of samples and 36.25% of them were Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms (MDROs). Conclusion: Using MPs at critical care areas and restroom may contribute to their contamination with pathogens. Regular disinfection of MPs can reduce this contamination.

Study of microbial contamination of mobile phones of healthcare workers (HCWs)

Study of microbial contamination of mobile phones of healthcare workers (HCWs) - IJMMTD- Print ISSN No: - 2581-4753 Online ISSN No:- 2581-4761 Article DOI No:- 10.18231/j.ijmmtd.2021.003, IP International Journal of Medical Microbiology and Tropical Diseases-IP Int J Med Microbiol Trop Dis

Microbes on the Mobile Phones of Healthcare Workers in Palestine: Identification, Characterization, and Comparison.

Background Healthcare workers (HCWs) may be using their mobile phones (MPs) to carry microbes that cause hospital-acquired and community infections in general. With antibiotic resistance problem emergence, these infections can be challenging to eradicate. Hence, this study aimed to determine the microbial contamination of HCW MPs and identify and classify bacterial isolates in Palestine. Methods This was a 7-month comparative cross-sectional analysis of 200 HCW MPs from 2 hospitals and 100 MPs from university students (non-HCWs). Data collection was done using a self-administrated questionnaire, and a swab sample from both HCW and non-HCW MPs was obtained and transferred to An-Najah National University (NNU) microbiology lab for bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility. Data were analyzed using Social Sciences Statistical Package (SPSS) version 22.0. Result Among HCWs, the microbial contamination was 87.5%. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS; 67.3%), methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA; 17.5%), Gram-positive bacilli (4.1%), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA; 1.6%), and Gram-negative species (1.6%) were the most predominant bacterial isolates. More than half of staphylococci isolates were resistant to penicillin and erythromycin. Male gender, using a mobile phone in the bathroom, and entry to the operating theatre were associated with mobile phone contamination and increased resistance against specific antibiotics. Among non-HCWs, the contamination was 86%. The most predominant bacterial isolates were CoNS, MSSA, and Gram-positive bacilli, with a contamination of 66.8%, 28.5%, and 2.6%, respectively. No MRSA or Gram-negative species were detected in this group. Antibiotic resistance percentage of staphylococci was nearly half of that yielded in the HCW group against each antibiotic. Conclusion Significant numbers of bacteria have been isolated from HCW MPs. Working in a hospital environment frequently raises the probability of presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria on a MP. Therefore, infection control teams should discuss methods to prevent the transmission of drug-resistant pathogens from HCW MPs.

Bacterial contamination of mobile phones of healthcare workers at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia

SummaryBackgroundMobile telephones (henceforth ‘phones’) have become an essential part of everyday life in both healthcare and community settings. However, the widespread use of mobile phones in healthcare facilities is of concern because they can act as vehicles for transmitting pathogenic bacteria. This study aimed to investigate the bacterial contamination of mobile phones of healthcare workers (HCWs) at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia.MethodsThis cross-sectional study, from May to July 2019, involved 117 HCWs. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather sociodemographic and phone usage data. The mobile phones of HCWs were swabbed for culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.ResultsThe overall prevalence of mobile phone contamination was 79%. The predominant isolates were coagulase-negative staphylococci (50%), Staphylococcus aureus (24.5%) and Bacillus spp. (14.3%). Other isolates were Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp., Klebsiella sp. and Proteus sp. Most isolates were susceptible to tetracycline, gentamicin and cotrimoxazole, while all Gram-positive organisms were resistant to penicillin. Meticillin resistance was detected in 25% and 48% of S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci isolates, respectively. No significant association was found between mobile phone contamination and age group, gender, profession, mobile phone disinfection or work area.ConclusionMobile phones of HCWs carry potentially pathogenic bacteria and can be a source of healthcare-associated infections in healthcare settings. Hence, regulations regarding the use of mobile phones need to be developed, especially in critical areas, to reduce the dissemination of pathogenic bacteria from hands to phones and, potentially, to patients.

Are mobile phones part of the chain of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in hospital settings?

ABSTRACTMobile phones (MPs) have become an important work tool around the world including in hospitals. We evaluated whether SARS-CoV-2 can remain on the surface of MPs of first-line healthcare workers (HCW) and also the knowledge of HCWs about SARS-CoV-2 cross-transmission and conceptions on the virus survival on the MPs of HCWs. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit of a teaching hospital. An educational campaign was carried out on cross-transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and its permanence in fomites, in addition to the proper use and disinfection of MPs. Herewith an electronic questionnaire was applied including queried conceptions about hand hygiene and care with MP before and after the pandemic. The MPs were swabbed with a nylon FLOQ Swab™, in an attempt to increase the recovery of SARS-CoV-2. All MP swab samples were subjected to SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR; RT-PCR positive samples were subjected to viral culture in Vero cells (ATCC® CCL-81™). Fifty-one MPs were swabbed and a questionnaire on hand hygiene and the use and disinfection of MP was applied after an educational campaign. Most HCWs increased adherence to hand hygiene and MP disinfection during the pandemic. Fifty-one MP swabs were collected and two were positive by RT-PCR (4%), with Cycle threshold (Ct ) values of 34-36, however, the cultures of these samples were negative. Although most HCWs believed in the importance of cross-transmission and increased adherence to hand hygiene and disinfection of MP during the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in MPs. Our results suggest the need for a universal policy in infection control guidelines on how to care for electronic devices in hospital settings.

Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Gram-Negative Bacteria on Healthcare Workers' Mobile Phones: Evidence from Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BackgroundMobile phones are widely used in hospital settings for different purposes. Mobile phones of healthcare workers (HCWs) could be colonized or harbor extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing gram-negative bacteria and may act as source of infectious agents. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Gram-negative bacteria on mobile phones of healthcare workers, to assess their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and associated factors.MethodsA laboratory-based cross-sectional study was conducted involving a total of 572 samples by rubbing swabs of the front screen, back, keypad, and metallic surfaces of mobile phones of healthcare workers using simple random sampling technique. All specimens were screened for ESBL using ESBL CHROME agar and confirmed using double-disk diffusion test (DDDT). Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done by the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion technique on Mueller–Hinton agar. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25, odds ratio and p-value was calculated to determine the association among variables.ResultsOverall, the number of mobile phones contaminated by gram-negative bacteria was 454 out of 572 (79.4%). Female sex (OR 0.651, p-value=0.039) and service year (OR 0.468, p-value=0.038) of healthcare workers were found to be the most significant factors associated with healthcare professionals’ mobile phone and bacterial contamination. Nine percent of the isolates were ESBL-producers. K. pneumoniae (27%) was the dominant ESBL-producing isolate followed by Acinetobacter spp. (14.5%) and E.coli (14.5%). ESBL-producers were highly resistant to ampicillin (95.8%), piperacillin (83.3%), cotrimoxazole (70.8%), and chloramphenicol (54.2%), but highly sensitive to meropenem (87.5%), amikacin (85.4%), and piperacillin-tazobactam (81.2%).ConclusionESBL-producing Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from 8.3% of HCWs’ mobile phones. As high as 79.4% of the isolates were multidrug resistant. Mobile phones can lead to bacterial cross-contamination and could be a source of nosocomial infections.

Bacterial contamination of mobile phones of healthcare workers at a tertiary care hospital

Introduction: Mobile phones are used extensively by the healthcare workers who are completely unaware of the microbial load they carry. There are no guidelines on the cleanliness of these mobile phones which makes them an important source of hospital acquired infections among the patients in the hospital. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the extent of bacterial colonisation of mobile phones from health care workers and elucidate its antibiotic sensitivity pattern. Settings and Design: The present study was hospital based cross-sectional study, carried out to analyse the bacterial colonization of mobile phones of healthcare personnel in the tertiary care hospital for a period of three months from 1st July 2017 to 30th September 2017. Materials and Methods: A sterile swab moistened with sterile normal saline was rolled over the exposed areas of the mobile phones of 117 health care personnel which included 18 samples from technicians, 35 from nurses, 29 from ward boys, and 35 samples from doctors. The swabs were cultured on 5% sheep blood agar and MacConkey agar plates. Plates were incubated aerobically at 37°C for 24 hours. The growth was identified by standard microbiological techniques and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern was carried out as per CLSI guidelines. Statistical Analysis: Statistical Analysis was done using MedCalc and Microsoft excel. Results: Overall bacterial contamination was found to be 92% (108) and maximum contamination was noted on the mobile phones of laboratory technicians (100%). All the healthcare workers showed polymicrobial growth on their mobile phones and maximum isolates were observed on the mobile phones of ward boys. Staphylococcus aureus, 44 (37.6%) was the most common isolate followed by Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 14 each (12%) and Acinetobacter species 6(5.1%). These isolates were resistant to commonly available antibiotics like Co-Trimoxazole, Ampicillin, and Amoxyclav. MRSA was

Profile and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Bacterial Isolates from Mobile Phones of Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care Centre of Nepal

Introduction: Nosocomial infection is a serious problem worldwide. Healthcare workers mobile phones may act as vehicle for nosocomial infections. Mobile phones are rarely cleaned and healthcare workers frequently use them thorough out their time in hospitals. The objective of this study is to determine the rate of contamination of mobile phones, prevalent microorganisms and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern. Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in Clinical Microbiology laboratory from July 2019 to September 2019 after ethical approval. Samples were collected aseptically by rolling sterile swabs over the exposed surfaces of the mobile phones and inoculated on the agar plates and incubated aerobically. After incubation, plates were examined for growth. Bacteria were identified by standard microbiological procedure and antibiotic sensitivity test of isolated pathogens was done using Muller Hinton Agar by Kirby-Bauer method. Statistical analysis was done by Excel 2018. Results: Of the 198 mobile phones sample cultures, 112 (56.6%) samples showed 7 different types of bacteria. Mixed growth was observed in 3 mobile phones and total of 115 bacterial isolates were identified. Staphylococcus species (74.7%) were predominant organism followed by Acinetobacter spp, Klebsiella pneumoniae, E. coli, Citrobacter and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Total 37.5% of Staphylococcus aureus were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Conclusion: Mobile phones may have potential pathogenic microorganisms on their surface and can act as vector in spread of infectious agents in hospital settings. It is recommended to disinfect mobile phones regularly and to implement hand washing practices and regulations around the use of mobile phones in hospital settings.

Profile and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Bacterial Isolates from Mobile Phones of Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care Centre of Nepal

Introduction Nosocomial infection is a serious problem worldwide. Healthcare workers mobile phones may act as vehicle for nosocomial infections. Mobile phones are rarely cleaned and healthcare workers frequently use them thorough out their time in hospitals. The objective of this study is to determine the rate of contamination of mobile phones, prevalent microorganisms and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern.
 MethodsThe descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in Clinical Microbiology laboratory from July 2019 to September 2019 after ethical approval. Samples were collected aseptically by rolling sterile swabs over the exposed surfaces of the mobile phones and inoculated on the agar plates and incubated aerobically. After incubation, plates were examined for growth. Bacteria were identified by standard microbiological procedure and antibiotic sensitivity test of isolated pathogens was done using Muller Hinton Agar by Kirby-Bauer method. Statistical analysis was done by Excel 2018.
 ResultsOf the 198 mobile phones sample cultures, 112 (56.6%) samples showed 7 different types of bacteria. Mixed growth was observed in 3 mobile phones and total of 115 bacterial isolates were identified. Staphylococcus species (74.7%) were predominant organism followed by Acinetobacter spp, Klebsiella pneumoniae, E. coli, Citrobacter and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Total 37.5% of Staphylococcus aureus were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
 ConclusionMobile phones may have potential pathogenic microorganisms on their surface and can act as vector in spread of infectious agents in hospital settings. It is recommended to disinfect mobile phones regularly and to implement hand washing practices and regulations around the use of mobile phones in hospital settings.

Pathogenic microbes contaminating mobile phones in hospital environment in Northeast India: incidence and antibiotic resistance

BackgroundThe present study attempts to identify and determine the pattern of drug susceptibility of the microorganisms present in mobile phones of health care workers (HCWs) and non-HCWs in a hospital environment. Mobile phones of 100 participants including both genders were randomly swabbed from nine different wards/units and the bacterial cultures were characterized using VITEK 2 system.ResultsForty-seven mobile phones were culture positive and a total of 57 isolates were obtained which consisted of 28 Gram-positive organisms and 29 Gram-negative organisms. The predominating organisms were Acinetobacter baumannii and Staphylococcus hominis. Among all the isolates from the mobile phones of HCW and non-HCWs, five isolates had ESBL and three isolates had colistin resistance. Incidentally, MRSA was not found on the mobile phones tested. The isolated organisms showed 100% susceptibility to linezolid, daptomycin, vancomycin, imipenem, meropenem, gentamicin, amikacin, ciprofloxacin and tigecycline, while high resistance was shown against benzylpenicillin (75.0%), cefuroxime and cefuroxime axetil (56.5%). Non-HCWs’ mobile phones were more contaminated as compared to HCWs (P = 0.001) and irrespective of individuals’ gender or toilet habits, both Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms were present on the mobile phones.ConclusionThis study reports for the first time that the mobile phones of non-health care workers harbour more bacterial diversity and are more prone to cause transmission of pathogens. This study can serve to educate the public on personal hand hygiene practices and on maintaining clean mobile phones through antiseptic measures.

Assessment of bacterial contamination of mobile phones of dentists and dental hygienists by Illumina MiSeq

In a clinical environment, medical staffs often use their mobile phones with their bare hands, thereby possibly exposing them to bacteria contamination. Cross-contamination could occur, where bacteria may be transferred from the contaminated hands of a healthcare worker to a patient. Some studies have investigated the microbial contamination on mobile phones of healthcare workers. However, in these studies, specific bacteria were identified through general culture methods, and few studies have investigated the contamination on mobile phones of dentists. In this study, Illumina sequencing was used to identify the bacterial diversity present on mobile phones of dentists and dental hygienists. Five dentists and five dental hygienists working in a dental hospital were surveyed. Several bacterial genera were detected on the dentists’ mobile phone, such as Pseudomonas spp. (52.52%), Janthinobacterium spp. (14.21%), Enterococcus spp. (9.66%), Stenotrophomonas spp. (5.68%), Streptococcus spp. (4.29%), and Acinetobacter spp. (3.15%). On the dental hygienists’ mobile phones, Enterococcus spp. (32.02%), Pseudomonas spp. (23.76%), Streptococcus spp. (22.44%), Lactobacillus spp. (8.77%), Janthinobacterium spp. (3.54%), Acinetobacter spp. (1.7%), and Stenotrophomonas spp. (1.22%) were detected. In addition, 38.09% of the genera identified on the dentists’ mobile phones and 25.74% of those on the hygienists’ mobile phones contained pathogenic species. Bacteria associated with oral diseases, such as Streptococcus spp., Actinomyces spp., Porphyromonas spp., and Fusobacterium spp., were also detected in both groups. This study demonstrated the high rates of bacterial contamination on mobile phones used by dentists and dental hygienists and showed the possibility of contamination by infectious pathogens.

Microbial contamination of mobile phones in a teritary care hospital

Background: Mobile phones could act as a reservoir of infection which may facilitate patient to patient transmission of microorganisms in hospital settings. Objectives of the study were to screen the mobile phones of health-care workers versus non health care workers for microbial contamination with special reference to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and extended-spectrum beta lactamases (ESBL).Methods: This is a cross-sectional prospective study conducted in a tertiary care hospital among 110 swab samples collected from the mobile phones of health care workers versus non health care workers. The study duration was 3 months.Results: 87.3% and 56.4% of the mobile phones of health care workers versus non health care workers yielded growth. Two and more than two types of growth were predominant among both health care workers (56.4%) versus non health care workers (29.1%). Coagulase negative Staphylococcus was predominant followed by aerobic spore bearers and micrococci in the study group.Conclusions: Health-care personnel should practice increased adherence to infection control precautions such as hand hygiene.