scholarly journals Bacterial Contamination of Healthcare worker’s Mobile Phones; a Case Study at Two Referral Hospitals in Uganda

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tusabe Fred
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Contamination ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Referral Hospitals

Abstract Background Hospital and Community-acquired infections are escalating and pose significant public health unhealthiness worldwide. The advancements of telemedicine and automation of healthcare records are supported by cellphones, laptops and wearable devices. This study focused on the incidence of healthcare workers’ mobile phones becoming contaminated with pathogenic bacteria and their possible roles as vehicles of transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.Method: A case study at two referral hospitals in Uganda between May and October 2020. Self-administered questionnaires were administered to participants after informed consent. Mobile phones of the participants in different departments of the hospitals were swabbed and samples were collected and transported to the microbiology laboratory for bacterial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility tests. Results: The point prevalence of Healthcare workers’ mobile phone bacterial contamination with one or more species was 93%. Organisms isolated were E. coli 5.6% (1), Micrococcus spp 11.1% (2), Coagulase-negative staphylococci, CoNS, 61.1% (11) and Bacillus spp 22.2% (4). About 45% of the organisms were multidrug-resistant. Resistance was major to penicillin, cotrimoxazole, ciprofloxacin and Gentamycin respectively. The isolated E. coli was resistant to all antibiotics used in the study. Only 15% (2) of the participants disinfected their phones at least once a week and 8% cleaned their hands after using a mobile phone.Conclusion: Healthcare Workers’ mobile phones can act as fomites for the transmission of multidrug-resistant micro-organisms. This study provides strong evidence for developing and strengthening disinfection protocols for mobile phones and does not underscore the importance of hand hygiene in the middle of a patient encounter especially when the HCW grabs a phone but doesn't re-clean their hands before patient contact.

scholarly journals Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria on the Mobile Phones and Computer Keyboards of Healthcare University Students in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Michael Olu-Taiwo ◽  
Christian Afotey Laryea ◽  
David Kweku Mykels ◽  
Akua Obeng Forson
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Contamination ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Isolates ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mannitol Salt Agar ◽  
Healthcare Students ◽  
The University

Globally, mobile phones and computers (laptops and desktops) are indispensable part of human lives for communication, entertainment, and educational purposes. However, there are concerns about the increasing risk of bacterial contamination and antibiotic resistant trends from the surfaces of these devices. This study aims to assess bacterial contamination of mobile phones and computer keyboards and their resistant profile at the University of Ghana, Korle-Bu Campus, Accra. This was a cross-sectional study conducted from March to June 2017 with 240 swabs collected from the surfaces of mobile phones and computer keyboards used by healthcare students. Swabs were cultured on MacConkey, blood, and mannitol salt agar. Bacteria identification was performed with a standard bacteriological method. A total of 91 bacterial isolates were obtained from the devices, and they were tested against 9 commonly used antibiotics by the Kirby–Bauer disc method. The study revealed mobile phones and computer keyboards had contamination levels of 83.3% and 43.3%. Bacteria isolated included Staphylococcus epidermidis (25.4%), Klebsiella spp. (12.9%), Staphylococcus aureus (9.2%), Escherichia coli (6.7%), Pseudomonas spp. (5.4%), Enterobacter cloacae (2.1%), and Enterobacter spp. (1.7%). Overall, 91 bacterial isolates were highly resistant to ampicillin (96.7%) and tetracycline (75.8%) and moderately resistant to chloramphenicol (49.5%) with lower resistance to cefotaxime (18.7%), ceftadizime (14.2%), ciprofloxacin (25.3%), and gentamycin (24.7%). Additionally, 45.1% of isolates were multidrug resistant. Findings from this study revealed mobile phones and computer keyboards of healthcare students in the university were contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. Hence, frequent hand hygiene and disinfection of mobile phones and computer keyboard surfaces is encouraged to minimize the spread of resistant bacteria pathogens.

scholarly journals The Microbiome Analysis of Hospital Mobile Phones: Hidden Contaminants Revealed

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s409-s409
Author(s):  
Rebecca Simmonds
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Bacterial Contamination ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Smart Devices ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Clinical Environments

Background: The undisputed versatility of smart devices makes them integral to modern-day society, especially within our National Health System. Despite the benefits, there are increasing concerns regarding their contamination and the associated infection risk. Bacteria under antimicrobial selective pressure can rapidly acquire resistant mechanisms leading to the assumption; mobile phones used within clinical environments may harbor bacteria associated with a higher infection mortality rate. Using next-generation sequencing technology, we characterized the true extent of bacterial contamination on mobile devices of hospital staff to determine the level of antimicrobial resistance within Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. Smart phones of 250 hospital staff and 191 control group participants were swabbed over a 6-month period. The microbiome of devices were characterized using Illinima MiSeq metabarcoding pipeline. Cultured isolates were quantified and underwent Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion. Primer version 6 and SPSS version 23 software were used to analyze the statistics. Nearly all mobile devices were contaminated with potential pathogens regardless of environment. Metabarcoding revealed far greater bacterial diversity and abundance of gram-negative bacterial contamination than did culture-based methods. In total, 198 bacterial genera of were discovered across both groups, of which 34 were unique to the hospital. Bacillus was significantly higher within the hospital group (P = .036). Differences were also detected within the hospital (high-risk vs low-risk areas, P = .048). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcusfaecalis were only isolated from hospital mobile phones (P < .001 and P = .038, respectively). Our results indicate that traditional culture-dependent swabbing methods do not provide an accurate picture of contamination. Metabarcoding reinforces the need for mobile phone infection control practices to mitigate the risks associated with the increase use of smart device technology in clinical environments. These devices are currently exposing immunocompromised patients to unknown levels of pathogenic and multidrug-resistant bacteria. Departmental differences may suggest that the mobile phone is not just an extension to its owners but to their environment and that routine decontamination should be required to prevent the undermining of hand hygiene and the transmission of pathogenic bacteria.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

scholarly journals Microbial Incidence and Antibiotic susceptibility for Bacterial isolates in The Mobile Phone of Healthcare workers and University Employments in Basrah City

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 1863-1870
Author(s):  
Rana Mohammad Abd-ulnabi ◽  
Zuhair G. Alshaheen ◽  
Rafeef A. Abdul-jabbar
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Isolates ◽  
Biochemical Tests ◽  
Candida Spp ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Field Samples ◽  
Bacillus Spp

The mobile phones come to be an important device all people use it for communication and phones can be contaminated with bacterial isolates. this study tries to do a little investigation about kinds and percent of pathogenic bacteria and the detection of some antibiotic resistance one and difference between that found in the healthcare worker’s mobile phone and peoples who work out of that field. Samples collection were done using mobile phones belongs to healthcare workers and Basra University employments. Swabs were cultured on different media then the suspected colonies were identified by recognizing the morphology of colonies, staining with Gram’s stain then tested with biochemical tests. Our study shows bacterial isolates in all the screened mobile phone, The highest proportions were recorded by Bacillus spp (66%) and Pseudomonas spp (56%) while the lowest proportions were Staphylococcus aureus (8%) and Candida spp (12%). And there was a significant difference in the kinds and percent of bacterial isolates between the healthcare workers and employments mobile phones, besides the appearance of Cefotaxime and Cefatizoxime resistance Proteus sp. and Trimethoprim + Sulfamethoxazole resistance Klebsiella spp. also the intermediate susceptibility to the different antibiotic was shown in all isolates. All the mobile phones can be contaminated by various kinds of bacteria some of these were resistant to some antibiotics and there was a significant difference in the percent and kinds of bacterial isolates between the health care worker and people who work out of this field.

Prevalence of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria from U.S.-Grown and Imported Fresh Produce Retailed in Chain Supermarkets and Ethnic Stores of Davidson County, Tennessee

2017 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 506-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siqin Liu ◽  
Agnes Kilonzo-Nthenge
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Fresh Produce ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Public Health Hazards

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to determine whether U.S.-grown and imported fresh produce retailed in ethnic stores and chain supermarkets was a reservoir of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A total of 360 (129 imported and 231 U.S.-grown) samples of fresh produce were purchased from retail stores and analyzed for Enterobacteriaceae, including three pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Shigella, and Salmonella), using standard methods. Presumptive pathogenic isolates were confirmed using PCR. The mean Enterobacteriaceae counts for imported produce were 6.87 ± 0.15 log CFU/g and 7.16 ± 0.11 log CFU/g in ethnic stores and chain supermarkets, respectively. For U.S.-grown produce, the contamination levels were at 8.35 ± 0.17 log CFU/g and 7.52 ± 0.13 log CFU/g in ethnic stores and chain supermarkets, respectively. Salmonella (0 and 0.3%), Shigella (1.7 and 0.6%), E. coli (3.1 and 1.4%), Enterobacter (9.4 and 8.6%), Klebsiella (6.7 and 0.6%), and Serratia (5.8 and 1.4%) were detected in produce from ethnic stores and chain supermarkets, respectively. None of the samples were positive for E. coli O157:H7. Regarding distribution by produce type, leafy vegetables had a significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae (19.2%) than the other types, followed by root vegetables (6.4%), tomatoes (5.6%), and fruits (3.9%). Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, and Erwinia bacteria were also isolated from fresh produce. The frequencies of vancomycin resistance (98.1 and 100%) were significantly higher (P &lt; 0.05) than the frequencies of ampicillin resistance (42.3 and 72.9%) for imported and U.S.-grown produce, respectively. Despite the increased attention to the role of imported produce as a source of antimicrobial resistance, this study indicates that U.S.-grown produce is also contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Good agricultural practices on the farms and washing of fresh produce before consumption are greatly recommended to avoid possible public health hazards.

scholarly journals Antimicrobial activity of plant based Essential Oils and Synergistic effect against selected Human Pathogenic Bacteria

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL4) ◽  
pp. 2623-2630
Author(s):  
Agneswari S ◽  
Gopukumar S T
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Activity ◽  
Essential Oils ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Curcuma Longa ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Synergistic Activity ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Human Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Maximum Inhibition

The occurrence of multidrug resistant by pathogens is a universal issue for providing tolerable treatment for various infectious diseases. The predictable anti-microbial proxies are relatively active against plentiful strains, still need of more drugs against multidrug resistant pathogens. Herbal drugs have potential against antimicrobial activity from ancient days and their treatment of pathogenic diseases is increasing for developing plant based natural products. Essential oils have combat against antibiotic resistant bacteria. Thus our study was focused on plant based essential oil against human pathogenic bacteria. The necessary oil extracted from Curcuma longa and C. martini revealed protuberant anti-microbial accomplishments against B. subtilis, Escherichia coli, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus.  Low concentration of C. longa oil at 10 µl inhibited the growth of all strains Bacillus subtilis followed by E. coli and S. aureus.  Maximum bustle was noted in P. aerogenosa at 40 µl in both C. longa and C. martini oils. Human pathogenic  strain treated with C. martini  oil showed maximum inhibition in P. aerogenosa  followed by B. subtilis, E. coli and S. aureus.  Synergistic activity of oils against the strains showed maximum inhibition at 40 µl in P. aerogenosa. 

scholarly journals Antibacterial potential of nudibranch-associated bacteria from Saparua and Nusa Laut Islands, Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
RHESI KRISTIANA ◽  
MADA TRIANDALA SIBERO ◽  
MACELLYNE YOHANNA FARISA ◽  
DIAH AYUNINGRUM ◽  
DIO DIRGANTARA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Micrococcus Luteus ◽  
International Health ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Klebsiella Pneumonia ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Associated Bacteria ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Antibacterial Potential

Abstract. Kristiana R, Sibero MT, Farisa MY, Ayuningrum D, Dirgantara D, Hanafi M, Radjasa OK, Sabdono A, Trianto A. 2019. Antibacterial potential of nudibranch-associated bacteria from Saparua and Nusa Laut Islands, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 1811-1819. Infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria are the international health issue that triggers the urgency of finding new antibacterial agents. The aim of this study was to obtain the nudibranchs-associated bacteria that have bioactivity against multidrug-resistant bacteria. A total of 13 species of nudibranch were identified based on morphological characterization. Overlay methods were used for the screening of the isolates bioactivity against six pathogenic multidrug-resistant bacteria. The Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC) of the crude extract was evaluated against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Micrococcus luteus, and Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamases E. coli (ESBL) using MTT method. A total of 145 isolates were obtained which eleven of the isolates showed antibacterial activity against the pathogenic bacteria. The MIC tests showed that the best acivity was isolate SM-S-9-15 and SM-N-3-7. The methanolic extract of isolate SM-S-9-15 active to all of the pathogenic bacteria, while the ethyl acetate extract of the isolate SM-N-3-7 active to the E. coli, B. subtilis, K. pneumonia at the concentration of 500 mg/mL. According to 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence-based identification, all active isolates belong to Virgibacillus marismortui, V. dokdonensis, Bacillus kochii, Vibrio algynoliticus, and Pseudoalteromonas piscicida.

scholarly journals Multiresistant Bacteria Isolated from Intestinal Faeces of Farm Animals in Austria

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 466
Author(s):  
Herbert Galler ◽  
Josefa Luxner ◽  
Christian Petternel ◽  
Franz F. Reinthaler ◽  
Juliana Habib ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Meat Products ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Multiresistant Bacteria ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant

In recent years, antibiotic-resistant bacteria with an impact on human health, such as extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-containing Enterobacteriaceae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), have become more common in food. This is due to the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, which leads to the promotion of antibiotic resistance and thus also makes food a source of such resistant bacteria. Most studies dealing with this issue usually focus on the animals or processed food products to examine the antibiotic resistant bacteria. This study investigated the intestine as another main habitat besides the skin for multiresistant bacteria. For this purpose, faeces samples were taken directly from the intestines of swine (n = 71) and broiler (n = 100) during the slaughter process and analysed. All samples were from animals fed in Austria and slaughtered in Austrian slaughterhouses for food production. The samples were examined for the presence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, MRSA, MRCoNS and VRE. The resistance genes of the isolated bacteria were detected and sequenced by PCR. Phenotypic ESBL-producing Escherichia coli could be isolated in 10% of broiler casings (10 out of 100) and 43.6% of swine casings (31 out of 71). In line with previous studies, the results of this study showed that CTX-M-1 was the dominant ESBL produced by E. coli from swine (n = 25, 83.3%) and SHV-12 from broilers (n = 13, 81.3%). Overall, the frequency of positive samples with multidrug-resistant bacteria was lower than in most comparable studies focusing on meat products.

scholarly journals In vitro activity of antimicrobial peptide CDP-B11 alone and in combination with colistin against colistin-resistant and multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaitlin S. Witherell ◽  
Jason Price ◽  
Ashok D. Bandaranayake ◽  
James Olson ◽  
Douglas R. Call
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antimicrobial Peptide ◽  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Bacteria ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Minimal Media

AbstractMultidrug-resistant bacteria are a growing global concern, and with increasingly prevalent resistance to last line antibiotics such as colistin, it is imperative that alternative treatment options are identified. Herein we investigated the mechanism of action of a novel antimicrobial peptide (CDP-B11) and its effectiveness against multidrug-resistant bacteria including Escherichia coli #0346, which harbors multiple antibiotic-resistance genes, including mobilized colistin resistance gene (mcr-1). Bacterial membrane potential and membrane integrity assays, measured by flow cytometry, were used to test membrane disruption. Bacterial growth inhibition assays and time to kill assays measured the effectiveness of CDP-B11 alone and in combination with colistin against E. coli #0346 and other bacteria. Hemolysis assays were used to quantify the hemolytic effects of CDP-B11 alone and in combination with colistin. Findings show CDP-B11 disrupts the outer membrane of E. coli #0346. CDP-B11 with colistin inhibits the growth of E. coli #0346 at ≥ 10× lower colistin concentrations compared to colistin alone in Mueller–Hinton media and M9 media. Growth is significantly inhibited in other clinically relevant strains, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. In rich media and minimal media, the drug combination kills bacteria at a lower colistin concentration (1.25 μg/mL) compared to colistin alone (2.5 μg/mL). In minimal media, the combination is bactericidal with killing accelerated by up to 2 h compared to colistin alone. Importantly, no significant red blood hemolysis is evident for CDP-B11 alone or in combination with colistin. The characteristics of CDP-B11 presented here indicate that it can be used as a potential monotherapy or as combination therapy with colistin for the treatment of multidrug-resistant infections, including colistin-resistant infections.

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