Abstract

Mobile phone is an extensively used personal gadget essential in daily life, gradually assuming the status of pathogenic agent of disease transmission. During the present study, 150 swab samples were collected from mobile phones of veterinarians, students (veterinary sciences), laboratory attendants, shepherds, meat and fish handlers of Kashmir valley for isolation, identification of public health significant bacteria and their antibiogram. Out of 150 swab sample examined, 96.66% mobile phones were found to be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. Mobile phone of animal handlers and veterinary surgeons showed highest and lowest total viable count, respectively. Escherichia coli,Bacillus cereus, Proteus spp., Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Klebsiella spp.and were frequently isolated from all mobile phone users. Among all the mobile phone users, highest percentage of E. coli (72%) and B. cereus (84%) was isolated from the fish and meat handlers. All the isolates were highly resistant to Amoxycillin/ Clavulonic acid, Amoxycillin, Ampicillin and Gentamicin. The present study indicates that mobile phones acts as an important source of pathogenic organisms for human and can serve as vehicle for cross-transmission of microbiota.

Key words: Mobile phone, animal handlers, Escherichia coli, antibiogram, resistance