Isolation of bacteria and fungi from personal and public mobile cellphones: A case study of Bayero University, Kano (Old Campus)

Abstract

The effect of constant handling of personal and public handsets by various users was investigated. 50 samples were colleted randomly from both students and public business centres. For each mobile phone, two sterile swab moistened with normal saline was rotated over the surface of both sides of the mobile phone. Both swabs were cultured on Maclonkey Agar and nutrient Agar for bacterial growth and Sabouraud Dextrose Agar for fungi growth. Plates were incubated aerobically at 37⁰C for 48h for bacterial growth. The plates were incubated at 25⁰C for 2 week for fungi growth. It was found that personal and public cellphones showed an association of microorganisms as a result of this constant handling. The organisms consistently isolated in this research, with their frequency of occurrence based on colonial, microscopical, morphological and biochemical characters comprised of Staphylococcus aureus (84%), Streptococcus species (16%), Aspergilles spp (32%), Candida spp (16%), Mucor spp (43%)and Rhizopus (4%) in public mobile phones. However, Staphylococcus aureus (76%), Streptococcus spp (48%), Candida spp (12%) and Mucor spp (40%) were isolated from personal mobile phones. Factors such as environment, hygiene and number of user were found to affect themicrobial count. Personal mobile phones have less microbial colonization than public mobile phones. Consequently, these handsets could serve as a vehicle for the transmission of pathogenic organisms. Good personal hygiene, and the need for general reduction in call tarrif globally as well as cost of purchasing handsets to reduce the incidence of microbial transmission at call centres is highly advocated.