Alfredo A. Hinay | Lourivy P. Durano | Cyrille Maria Trinidad B. Enobio | Luis Antonio T. Flores | Jennifer Ashley H. Reyes
More deaths arise due to infectious diseases in spite of the increasing awareness and preventive health practices. This alarming fact is due to the fomites such as kitchen utensils, surfaces of tables and other objects, and even gadgets such as mobile phoneswhich can transmit bacteria. Millions of people gadgets mobile phones and this has become a part of their daily routine. This study dealt with the microbial load determination, isolation and determination of bacteria isolated from mobile phones of randomly selected second year students of the University of the Immaculate Conception. Using quota sampling, five mobile phones were subjected to investigation. Sterile swabs were used in the sampling procedure and swabbing was done before and after (APC) was used for the microbial load determination and culture using standard laboratory media was utilized in the isolation and identification of bacteria. Results indicated that a significant difference on APC values were observed prior and after disinfection of mobile phones with 70% alcohol. Organisms that were commonly isolated were under the genus Staphylococci and genus Streptococci. Other organisms isolated included Klebsiella pneumonia, species of Micrococcus, Pseudomonas, Listeria, Lactobacillus, Acinetobacter, Enetrobacter, Bacillus, Citrobacter, Proteus, Providencia, and Arizona. Although most of these bacteria are normal flora of the body, they are also still implicated in severe opportunistic infections.
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