David, O.M. and Famurewa, O. (2009) Cell Phone: A medium of transmission of bacterial pathogens. World Rural Observations. 1(2):69-72.
Abstract
The present study aimed at isolating bacteria from cell phone. A total of 150 samples were collected from the cell phones of the volunteers in the university premises, commercial centres, hospital personnel (doctors and nurses) and hospitalized patients. Organism encountered include: Escherichia coli, (28.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (22.6%), Klebsiella sp (14.5%), Serratia sp (13.7), Staphylococcus aureus (12.9%) and Proteus vulgaris (8.1%). Antibiotic susceptibility test carried out on the isolated organisms using agar diffusion method show that all the isolates were resistant to augment in while resistance to common antibiotics tested was equally high. E. coli and P. aeruginosa which were the predominant organisms were equally the most resistant against the antibiotic tested. Multiple antibiotic resistance was observed among the isolates. All the isolates were resistant to more than three antibiotics.
This revealed that cell phone may have notable role in the transmission of multidrug resistant nosocomial pathogens.
[World Rural Observations 2009;1(2):69-72]. ISSN: 1944-6543 (print); ISSN: 1944-6551 (online)
Running Title: Cell phone: a fomite of transmissible pathogens
Key word: cell phone, pathogens, nosocomial, reservoir, antibiotics, fomites
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