The 1307 bacterial strains found include highly virulent and antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens.
‘On duty medical staff with their [non-sanitised] mobile phones might be the cause of nosocomial diseases contracted by vulnerable immuno-compromised patients during various procedures,’ the authors write.
Associate Professor Tajouri says the extent of mobile phone use in everyday life, as well as the way in which they are used, has led him to conclude much more attention should be paid to the infection risks they pose.
‘I consider mobile phones [to be] our third hand,’ he said. ‘And the problem with mobile phones is not only that we carry them everywhere, they are actually a magnet for microbes.’
He says the devices being stored close to the body in a warm place, their use in conversations, and their presence during mealtimes are among factors that mean ‘the mobile phone becomes like a five-star hotel for microbes’.
He said he was inspired to take up the research while observing hospital staff using their mobile phones during the birth of his child.
‘As a microbiologist, I said, “Oh, my God, that is so wrong”,’ he said.
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