ASSESSMENT OF MICROBIAL LOAD OF PUBLIC PHONES AND MOBILE DEVICES USED BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

ASSESSMENT OF MICROBIAL LOAD OF PUBLIC PHONES AND MOBILE DEVICES USED BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Background to the study

Our daily lives involve the use of mobile phones. It is now a commonly used technology in today's society. Mobile phones and other gadgets provide extra assistance for a variety of functions, including message sending and receiving, internet access, and the sharing of films and photographs. These items are brought into a variety of locations, including restrooms, kitchens, event venues, hospitals, and markets, all of which are teeming with pathogenic bacteria that can cause human illness (El Manama et al., 2015). These elements, along with the heat produced by cell phones, contribute to the dangerous quantities of microorganisms that are present there. The immediate health dangers associated with using germ-ridden mobile devices are evident when one considers the everyday contact that a cell phone has with the face, mouth, ears, and hands. All age groups may now access mobile phones thanks to technological advancements, particularly in terms of their processing power, which has made them a need in daily life. It has also developed into a substitute or chance for these bacteria as a storage facility.

According to estimates from 2017, 71% of Nigeria's population used mobile phones as their primary form of communication (Gillwald et al., 2018). These microorganisms can be transmitted via direct or indirect physical contact between people or via inanimate things like televisions, furniture, game pads, etc. Cell phones with buttons and keyboards and other personal mobile phones in general have been found to be even more conductive to bacterial contamination, even while indirect contamination from person to person has decreased with the drop in the usage of public payphones (Lee et al., 2013). Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria have both been found in hand-to-mouth transmission during casual activities, according to Rusin and his colleagues. This suggests that mobile devices could act as channels for the spread of illnesses like diarrhoea, pneumonia, boils, and abscesses (Rusin et al., 2002).

Our mobile phones are difficult to clean, in contrast to our hands, which can be easily cleaned. Even we hardly ever try to clean them. Therefore, a variety of germs are carried by these gadgets. In hospitals, patients, visitors, and healthcare professionals frequently use cellphones. In addition, since it is unknown whether phone accessories have the potential to spread bacteria, tourists who visit low-income nations with inadequate access to drinkable water and sanitary facilities run the danger of getting sick (Brady et al., 2006). These microorganisms are located on fomites and according to studies, can live for a very long time depending on the environment. Ya'aba and colleagues 2020. These bacteria cells are part of the bacteria that live on our bodies whether they do so naturally or as a result of an infection. They attach to mobile phone surfaces easily and may even form colonies. Our phones and other mobile gadgets have surfaces that are difficult to clean, which allows bacteria to move there and thrive. Once on our hands or faces, the germs can contaminate any area of the body that has a scratch or an open wound (Kawakib I.AI-Zubaidy, 2019). E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, and other bacteria are connected to mobile phones. The most well-known fecal coliform bacterium is E. coli, and it is well-known since people carry their mobile devices when using the restroom these days.

 

1.2 Statement of the problem

An electronic gadget for personal telecommunication is a mobile phone. We frequently ignore the health risks linked with mobile phones because of how simple they are to use and the additional applications they offer. The purpose of this study is to investigate and evaluate the microbial load of potential microorganisms that may be present on mobile phones and public phones but have not been extensively studied, to support and validate claims made about its potential health risks, and to identify a few of these microorganisms present. It also aims to find a way to reduce how these microorganisms are spread from person to person, thereby lowering the potential health risks.

 

1.3 Justification of the study

A thorough investigation is conducted to explain the microbiological foreign substances on mobile devices from university students as well as their anti-infection agent helplessness designs due to knowledge of the damaging effects of contaminations and the need to maintain general wellbeing. Nevertheless, it is common to find numerous microorganisms in our furnishings, settings, and technology. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the microbiological evaluation of mobile devices, their impact on public health, and the methods for treating any infections caused by pollutants.

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