Enumeration, Isolation and Antibiotic Susceptibility Profile of Bacteria Associated With Mobile Cellphones in a University Environment

Abstract

A study was carried out between February and March, 2012, to enumerate, isolate and identify bacteria associated with mobile cell phones in a University environment. This was with a view to determining the bacterial load and their susceptibility pattern to some commonly-used antibiotics. Samples were collected from mobile cell phones of staff, marketers and students in Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria using aseptic swab technique. A total of thirty-five (35) mobile phones were randomly sampled from the following study groups: 10 University staff, 12 marketers and 13 students. For each mobile phone, two sterile swabs moistened with normal saline were rotated over the surface of both sides of the mobile phone and soaked in 10 ml peptone water. Enumeration of the bacterial counts was carried out using pour-plate technique while the bacterial isolates were
identified using cultural, morphological and biochemical techniques. The results showed that marketers, students and University staff had the overall mean aerobic mesophilic bacterial counts of 5.25 x 102, 4.48 x 102 and 2.50 x 102 cfu/ml respectively. Twenty-eight bacterial isolates belonging to four genera: Escherichia coli 7(25.0%), Staphylococcus aureus 15(53.6%), Salmonella species 2(7.1%) and Klebsiella species 4(14.3%) were identified. Generally, S. aureus was the most isolated with 15(53.6%) while the least was Salmonella species with only 2(7.1%). Antibiotic susceptibility testing of the isolates indicated that S. aureus species had the highest susceptibility of 14(93.3%) against cipfloxacin while Salmonella species had 1(50.0%) against augmentin whereas Klebsiella species had 1(25.0%) each against gentamycin and streptomycin. On the other hand, Salmonella species was not susceptible to gentamycin, perfloxacin and streptomycin each with 0(0.0%). Overall susceptibility was highest against ciprofloxacin with 24(85.7%) while the least was recorded against  gentamycin with 6(21.4%). The identified bacteria have pathogenic potential and hence their presence on the cell phones surfaces could serve as a source of cross-transmission of bacterial infections in the University community and its environs.

Keywords: Bacteria, Contamination, Cell phones, Susceptibility profile, Antibiotics, University.