• Login
    View Item 
    •   MBRU Knowledge Repository Home
    • College of Medicine (CoM)
    • Faculty Publications (CoM)
    • View Item
    •   MBRU Knowledge Repository Home
    • College of Medicine (CoM)
    • Faculty Publications (CoM)
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    A pilot metagenomic study reveals that community derived mobile phones are reservoirs of viable pathogenic microbes

    View/Open
    204-2021.102 Rania Nassar, Abiola Senok (2.828Mb)
    Date
    2021
    Author
    Senok, Abiola
    Nassar, Rania
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    Abstract: There is increasing attention focussed on the risks associated with mobile phones possibly serving as ‘Trojan Horse’ fomites for microbial transmission in healthcare settings. However, little is reported on the presence of microbes on community derived mobile phones which in 2021, numbered in the billions in circulation with majority being used on a daily basis. Identify viable microbial organisms swabbed from smartphones on a university campus. Entire surfaces of 5 mobile phones were swabbed and examined for their microbial content using pre-agar-based growths followed by downstream DNA metagenomic next-generation sequencing analysis. All phones were contaminated with viable microbes. 173 bacteria, 8 fungi, 8 protists, 53 bacteriophages, 317 virulence factor genes and 41 distinct antibiotic resistant genes were identified. While this research represents a pilot study, the snapshot metagenomic analysis of samples collected from the surface of mobile phones has revealed the presence of a large population of viable microbes and an array of antimicrobial resistant factors. With billions of phones in circulation, these devices might be responsible for the rise of community acquired infections. These pilot results highlight the importance of public health authorities considering mobile phones as ‘Trojan Horse’ devices for microbial transmission and ensure appropriate decontamination campaigns are implemented.
    URI
    https://repository.mbru.ac.ae/handle/1/936
    Collections
    • Faculty Publications (CoM)

    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2016  DuraSpace
    Contact Us | Send Feedback
    Theme by 
    Atmire NV
     

     

    Browse

    All of MBRU Knowledge RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2016  DuraSpace
    Contact Us | Send Feedback
    Theme by 
    Atmire NV