ISOLATION OF BACTERIA FROM MOBILE PHONES FOR THE HEALTHCARE WORKERS EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS AT ZLITEN MEDICAL CENTER

Authors

  • Amna Abolbeda Microbiology Dept., Faculty of Science , Alasmarya Islamic University, Zliten Libya
  • Malak Nasef Microbiology Dept., Faculty of Science , Alasmarya Islamic University, Zliten Libya
  • Amal Abonakala Microbiology Dept., Faculty of Science , Alasmarya Islamic University, Zliten Libya
  • Aisha Abobrawe Microbiology Dept., Faculty of Science , Alasmarya Islamic University, Zliten Libya
  • Safa Alfetory Microbiology Dept., Faculty of Science , Alasmarya Islamic University, Zliten Libya
  • Haneya Alrayed Microbiology Dept., Faculty of Science , Alasmarya Islamic University, Zliten Libya
  • Wafa Mahmod Microbiology Dept., Faculty of Science , Alasmarya Islamic University, Zliten Libya
  • Amna Alrtel Microbiology laboratory, Zliten Medical Center, Zliten, Libya

Keywords:

Healthcare workers, Mobile phones, Healthcare-associated infections

Abstract

The use of Mobile phones by emergency department healthcare members can be considered as a significant risk of hospital-acquired infections for patients. Using mobile phones everywhere can be contaminated with microorganisms .This study investigating the bacterial contamination of healthcare workers' mobile phones at Zliten Medical Center. Methods: After obtaining written informed from all participants, we selected two groups: doctors and medical assistants. Researchers collected 120 mobile phone samples from doctors and medical assistants (33 males, 87 females, ages 19-77) across three departments Pediatrics, Obstetrics, Gynecology and General word with each department contributed 40 randomly selected samples. Results indicated that 37.5% (45/120) of samples were contaminated with bacteria, while 62.5% (75/120) showed no bacterial growth. Both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria were identified, highlighting the potential for diverse pathogens on these devices.

References

D. Boden, Z. Teklemariam, S. Balakrishnan, & T. Tesfa, ”Bacterial contamination of mobile phones of health professionals in Eastern Ethiopia: antimicrobial susceptibility and associated factors”, Tropical Medicine and Health, vol. 47, no15, pp. 2-10, 2019.

R. R. Brady, A. C. Hunt, A. Visvanathan, M. A. Rodrigues, C. Graham, C. Rae, P. Kalima, H. M. Paterson & A. P. Gibb, ”Mobile phone technology and hospitalized patients: a cross-sectional surveillance study of bacterial colonization, and patient opinions and behaviours” , Clinical Microbiology and Infection , vol .17 ,no.6, pp. 830–835 , Feb. 2011. ‏

S. E. Amala, & I. F. Ejikema, ”Bacteria Associated with the Mobile Phones of Medical Personnel”, NWPII, vol. 7,no. 1, pp. 26-32, 19 Mar. 2015, doi: 10.5099/aj150100026.

N.N. Tambe, & C. Pai, ”A Study of Microbial Flora and MRSA Harboured by Mobile Phones of Health Care Personnel” , International Journal of Recent Trends in Science And Technology, vol.4, no. 1, pp. 14-18,‏ 2012.

D. Mark, C. Leonard, H. Breen, R. Graydon, C. O’Gorman, & S. Kirk1 , ”Mobile phones in clinical practice: reducing the risk of bacterial contamination a review” , Willy, vol. 68 , no. 9, pp. 1060–1064, Sept. 2014, doi: 10.1111/ijcp.12448 .

F. Ulger, S. Esen, A. Dilek, K. Yanik , M. Gunaydin & H. Leblebicioglu, ”Are we aware how contaminated our mobile phones with nosocomial pathogens? ”, licensee BioMed Central Ltd, vol. 8, no. 7 pp. 1-4, 6 Mar. 2009, doi:10.1186/1476-0711-8-7.

G. Sepehri, N. Talebizadeh, T. R. Mir-shekari, E. Sepehri & A. ”Mirzazadeh, Bacterial Contamination and Resistance to Commonly Used Antimicrobials of Healthcare Workers' Mobile Phones in Teaching Hospitals, Kerman, Iran” , American Journal of Applied Sciences, vol.6 , no.5, pp. 693-697, 2009 .

T. Debnath, S.Bhowmik, T. Islam, & M. M. Chowdhury , Presenceof ”Multidrug‑Resistant Bacteria on Mobile Phones of Healthcare Workers Accelerates the Spread of Nosocomial Infection and Regarded as a Threat to Public Health in Bangladesh”, Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure, vol.6, no.3, pp. 165-169, July-September 2018, DOI: 10.4103/JMAU. JMAU_30_18

W. Edrees, & M. Al-Awar1, ”Bacterial contamination of mobile phones of medical laboratory workers at Sana’a city, Yemen and their antimicrobial susceptibility”, Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacognosy Research, vol. 8 , no. 6, pp. 591-599 , Jul. 2020.

B.V. Kumar, Y. Hobani,A. Abdulhaq, A. Jerah, O. Hakami, M. Eltigani, & A. Bidwai, ”Prevalence of antibacterial resistant bacterial contaminants from mobile phones of hospital inpatients”, Libyan Journal of Medicine, vol. 9,pp. 1-4, Oct. 2014.

N.A. Mushabati, M.T. Samutela ,K. Yamba, J. Ngulube, R. Nakazwe, P. Nkhoma & A. Kalonda, ”Bacterial contamination of mobile phones of healthcare workers at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia”, Elsevier, Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Healthcare Infection Society, vol. 3, pp. 1-7, 2021, doi.org/10.1016/j.infpip.2021.100126.

Downloads

Published

2025-06-30

Issue

Vol. 38 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Biology

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Basic Sciences

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

ISOLATION OF BACTERIA FROM MOBILE PHONES FOR THE HEALTHCARE WORKERS EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS AT ZLITEN MEDICAL CENTER (A. Abolbeda, M. . . Nasef, A. . . Abonakala, A. . . Abobrawe, S. . Alfetory, H. . Alrayed, W. . Mahmod, & A. . . Alrtel , Trans.). (2025). Journal of Basic Sciences, 38(2), 151-164. https://journals.asmarya.edu.ly/jbs/index.php/jbs/article/view/335

Similar Articles

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.