Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria on the Mobile Phones and Computer Keyboards of Healthcare University Students in Ghana
Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Hindawi
Abstract
Globally, mobile phones and computers (laptops and desktops) are indispensable part of human lives for communication,
entertainment, and educational purposes. However, there are concerns about the increasing risk of bacterial contamination and
antibiotic resistant trends from the surfaces of these devices. ,is study aims to assess bacterial contamination of mobile phones
and computer keyboards and their resistant profile at the University of Ghana, Korle-Bu Campus, Accra. ,is was a cross sectional study conducted from March to June 2017 with 240 swabs collected from the surfaces of mobile phones and computer
keyboards used by healthcare students. Swabs were cultured on MacConkey, blood, and mannitol salt agar. Bacteria identification
was performed with a standard bacteriological method. A total of 91 bacterial isolates were obtained from the devices, and they
were tested against 9 commonly used antibiotics by the Kirby–Bauer disc method. ,e study revealed mobile phones and
computer keyboards had contamination levels of 83.3% and 43.3%. Bacteria isolated included Staphylococcus epidermidis (25.4%),
Klebsiella spp. (12.9%), Staphylococcus aureus (9.2%), Escherichia coli (6.7%), Pseudomonas spp. (5.4%), Enterobacter cloacae
(2.1%), and Enterobacter spp. (1.7%). Overall, 91 bacterial isolates were highly resistant to ampicillin (96.7%) and tetracycline
(75.8%) and moderately resistant to chloramphenicol (49.5%) with lower resistance to cefotaxime (18.7%), ceftadizime (14.2%),
ciprofloxacin (25.3%), and gentamycin (24.7%). Additionally, 45.1% of isolates were multidrug resistant. Findings from this study
revealed mobile phones and computer keyboards of healthcare students in the university were contaminated with pathogenic
bacteria. Hence, frequent hand hygiene and disinfection of mobile phones and computer keyboard surfaces is encouraged to
minimize the spread of resistant bacteria pathogens.
Description
Research Article