A Study on the Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on Mobile Phone Devices

Abstract

Mobile phone devices are indispensable accessories in social life used for communication. The users normally do not clean their cell phones which, therefore, serve as a reservoir of potential pathogenic bacteria. The devices are the vehicles of pathogen transmission in both health and non-healthcare settings. The presence of multiple drug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus is very important as it can cause both hospital- and community-acquired infections. The present study is an attempt to record the prevalence of S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) on mobile phone devices. A total of 100 mobile devices of students (28 male and 72 female) were screened for the presence of S. aureus strains. Of these, 17 % had S. aureus strains and one isolate was methicillin-resistant. S. aureus is often found as common bacteria on skin and also in the nose. These bacteria get access to mobile devices via hands and can cause a variety of infections to vulnerable groups like infants, children, elderly people in community and patients especially immuno-compromised in healthcare settings. This study recorded the prevalence of S. aureus and MRSA on mobile phone devices. Findings in this paper emphasize the need for proper personal hygienic measures like washing hands with soap, detergent and periodic cleaning of mobile devices with disinfectants like 70% alcohol to prevent devices as a vehicle of pathogens transmission to vulnerable groups.
Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, mobile phone devices, prevalence, methicillin, cell phone, disinfectant