ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF BACTERIA FROM MOBILE PHONES OF STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES OF HAJEE MOHAMMAD DANESH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Mobile phones are increasingly used by professionals university staff and health care professionals for communication these may harbor in various potential pathogens. The ability of the microbes to survive on the surface of mobile phone makes it as one of the important fomites in the spread of microorganism between users. Present study was designed to isolate and identify of bacteria from mobile phones of students and employees of Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University Dinajpur, Bangladesh. A total of 32 swab samples of mobile phones were collected in different academic staffs, nonacademic staffs, students and cleaners. In this study bacteria were identified on the basis of morphological, cultural and biochemical characterization. The total viable count (TVC) of different swab samples of mobile phone in different categories (academics, nonacademic, students and cleaners) were studied. samples were ranged from 73×10-6 CFU/ml to 260×10-6 CFU/ml. Among 32 swab samples the bacterial percentage isolation frequency and occurrence were Staphylococcus spp 21 (25.6%), Bacillus spp 17(20.7%), Klebsiella spp 16(19.5%), Pseudomonas spp 15(18%) and Salmonella spp 13(15.85%). The vitro antibiotic sensitivity test of isolated bacteria Staphylococcus spp, Bacillus spp, Klebsiella spp, Pseudomonas spp and Salmonella spp were resistance in randomly Penicillin, Amoxicillin, Cefaclor, Ofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin. The finding of this research indicates that all mobile phones under consideration were infected by several microbes most of which belongs to the natural flora of the human body. Therefore sharing of mobiles, usage of mobile during eating should be discouraged. Personal hand hygiene is very important and also washing of hand before and after handling phones since it is a source of disease transmission. The purpose of this study was to investigate microbial colonization on mobile phones and suggested a cost effective solution for the emerging nosocomial infection.