Abstract

ALERT!!! BEWARE OF MOBILE PHONES!!! HAS A GREAT ROLE IN DISEASE TRANSMISSION, CLEAN THEM UP!!!! SAFE TO HANDLE...

Author(s):Sue Elizabeth Shajan, Mohammed Faisal Hashim, Michael A

Introduction: Socially and professionally mobile phones are indispensable and are used in an environment of high microbial flora. This study is alerting to “Beware of Mobile Phones!!! has a great role in disease transmission”. Aims and Objectives: This study deals with the spread of both hospital and community associated microbial infections from the unavoidable mobile phones.Materials and Methods: Sterile samples were obtained from 255 mobile phones and divided into 5 categories of people as follows: Group I – Market vendors, Group II – Public workers, Group III – Teachers, Group IV – Office Staffs, Group V– Healthcare workers. Samples were cultured aerobically, anaerobically and for fungus. The resulting isolates were biochemically identified and subjected to antimicrobial sensitivity tests by Standard procedures. Results and Discussions: The result revealed a very high percentage (83%) of microbial contamination with 15 bacterial and 5 fungal isolates. Mobile phones in Group I had the highest rate of colonization (54, 25.5%), Followed by Group II (52, 24.6%), Group III (48, 22.7%), Group IV (42, 19.9%), and Group V (15, 7.1%). Acinetobacter baumanii was the most prevalent bacterial agent from mobile phones in Group V (33.3%) and least from Group IV (9.5%).There was no statistical significance difference (P<0.05) in the occurrence of Acinetobacter baumanii a soil opportunistic pathogenic bacterial agent most frequently isolated from the mobile phones of all the study groups. Conclusion: The colonization rate of mobile phones may serve as a reservoir, immediate source and spread of both hospital and community associated microbial infections. Hence mobile phone users are strict adherence of infection control, such as hand washing and good hygienic practices is advocated. To prevent the health care associated infections (HCAI) in hospitals, the use of mobile phones during working hours should be strictly prohibited.

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