Journal article
The role of mobile phones as a possible pathway for pathogen movement, a cross-sectional microbial analysis
Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, Vol.43, Art. 102095
2021
Abstract
Introduction
Mobile phones are used the world over, including in healthcare settings. This study aimed to investigate the viable microbial colonisation of mobile phones used by healthcare personnel.
Methods
Swabs collected on the same day from 30 mobile phones belonging to healthcare workers from three separate paediatric wards of an Australian hospital were cultured on five types of agar plate, then colonies from each phone were pooled, extracted and sequenced by shotgun metagenomics. Questionnaires completed by staff whose phones were sampled assisted in the analysis and interpretation of results.
Results and discussion
All phones sampled cultured viable bacteria. Overall, 399 bacterial operational taxonomic units were identified from 30 phones, with 1432 cumulative hits. Among these were 58 recognised human pathogenic and commensal bacteria (37 Gram-negative, 21 Gram-positive). The total number of virulence factor genes detected was 347, with 1258 cumulative hits. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were detected on all sampled phones and overall, 133 ARGs were detected with 520 cumulative hits. The most important classes of ARGs detected encoded resistance to beta-lactam, aminoglycoside and macrolide antibiotics and efflux pump mediated resistance mechanisms.
Conclusion
Mobile phones carry viable bacterial pathogens and may act as fomites by contaminating the hands of their users and indirectly providing a transmission pathway for hospital-acquired infections and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Further research is needed, but meanwhile adding touching mobile phones to the five moments of hand hygiene is a simple infection control strategy worth considering in hospital and community settings. Additionally, the implementation of practical and effective guidelines to decontaminate mobile phone devices would likely be beneficial to the hospital population and community at large.
Details
- Title
- The role of mobile phones as a possible pathway for pathogen movement, a cross-sectional microbial analysis
- Authors/Creators
- L. Tajouri (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityM. Campos (Author/Creator)M. Olsen (Author/Creator) - Bond UniversityA. Lohning (Author/Creator) - Bond UniversityP. Jones (Author/Creator) - Bond UniversityS. Moloney (Author/Creator) - Bond UniversityK. Grimwood (Author/Creator) - Gold Coast HealthH. Ugail (Author/Creator) - University of BradfordB. Mahboub (Author/Creator) - Dubai Health AuthorityH. Alawar (Author/Creator)S. McKirdy (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityR. Alghafri (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
- Publication Details
- Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, Vol.43, Art. 102095
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Identifiers
- 991005541704607891
- Copyright
- © 2021 The Authors.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Harry Butler Institute
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Citation topics
- 1 Clinical & Life Sciences
- 1.23 Antibiotics & Antimicrobials
- 1.23.173 MRSA and VRE
- Web Of Science research areas
- Infectious Diseases
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
- ESI research areas
- Social Sciences, general