Assessment and Antibiotic Susceptibility Profiles of Bacterial Contaminants on Mobile Phones of Students in the University of Abuja
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67601/njbls.v3i2b.64Keywords:
Fomites, Enterobacteriaceae, Disc diffusion, Drug resistance, Hygiene practices, Public health surveillanceAbstract
Mobile phones are in near-constant contact with the hands and face, yet are rarely cleaned or disinfected, making them recognised fomites capable of harbouring and transmitting pathogenic bacteria. Despite growing evidence of mobile phone contamination in various settings, data specific to University of Abuja students combining bacterial isolation, characterisation, and antibiotic susceptibility profiling remain limited, posing a public health concern in a crowded academic environment where such data are needed to inform context-specific interventions. This study therefore assessed the bacterial contaminants present on mobile phones used by students of the University of Abuja, isolated and characterised the recovered organisms, and determined their antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Swab samples were collected from the mobile phones of twenty (20) undergraduate students and cultured on Nutrient Agar and MacConkey Agar. Isolates were identified by Gram staining and biochemical tests, and antibiotic susceptibility was determined by the disc diffusion method, interpreted using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Bacterial growth was observed on all 20 (100.0%) sampled phones on both media. Eight Gram-positive isolates were presumptively identified as Bacillus sp., Enterococcus sp., and Staphylococcus sp., while six Gram-negative isolates were presumptively identified as Klebsiella sp., Escherichia coli, Enterobacter sp. ., and Shigella sp. Complete resistance (100.0%) was recorded among Gram-positive isolates to ceftazidime, amoxicillin, and ciprofloxacin, and among Gram-negative isolates to ofloxacin, pefloxacin, and cephalexin. Gentamicin was the most effective antibiotic against both groups. These preliminary findings indicate that the sampled mobile phones harboured diverse bacterial populations, including isolates resistant to multiple antibiotic classes, suggesting that personal devices may warrant further attention as a potential contributor to antimicrobial resistance in this setting. The results support integrating mobile phone hygiene into routine public health practice and establish a baseline for future antimicrobial resistance surveillance on personal devices within comparable populations.
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