Study on awareness of microbial contamination through mobile phones

Abstract

Mobile phones have become an essential accessory in our personal, social and professional life. Mobile phones can act as a reservoir of a wide variety of bacterial species, many of which have the potential to be pathogenic. Mobile phones were found to carry microorganisms because count of bacteria increases in high temperature and our phones are ideal breeding sites for these microbes as they are kept warm and snug in our pockets and handbags. The important factors of contamination are the personal hygiene level. Though mobile phone use are restricted in hospitals, the probability of the mobile phones of the patients, visitors and healthcare professionals being contaminated by bacteria and microbes in the hospital surrounding is high and may serve as a vehicle for the spread of nosocomial pathogens. The aim of the study is to conduct a survey to identify the level of awareness and to make people aware of transmission of diseases. The method used in this survey is a set of questionnaire were prepared and given to 100 mobile phone users and were asked to answer them without any ambiguity. The data is then collected. Based on the data it was observed that the awareness among people on the presence of microbes on their gadgets were very less. The survey results was shared with the participants, explained them the causes of contamination and its adverse impact, and instigated them to awareness and suggested few preventive measures to avoid the habit of using mobile phones while being with infants, kids, dining and in washrooms. Use of an antimicrobial cleaning agent to clean the mobile phones whenever required is recommended.