A Microbial Safari in Cameroon
Imagine an object you touch dozens of times daily—after examining patients, before eating meals, while moving between hospital wards. Now consider that this same object may carry more bacteria than a toilet seat. For healthcare workers in Cameroon and worldwide, that object is their mobile phone 5 .
A recent study conducted at the Regional Hospital Bamenda in Cameroon reveals a hidden ecosystem thriving on the devices healthcare providers rely on for communication and patient care. This research offers crucial insights into how everyday tools can become unexpected partners in disease transmission within medical facilities 1 .
Mobile phones can harbor up to 10 times more bacteria than most toilet seats, creating a significant infection risk in healthcare settings.
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), also called nosocomial infections, are infections that patients acquire while receiving treatment for other conditions within healthcare settings. The World Health Organization identifies these infections as a significant global health challenge, particularly in developing countries where approximately 25% of patients acquire them during their hospital stay 9 .
These infections can come from various sources:
Mobile phones have become indispensable tools in modern healthcare, allowing for rapid communication, access to medical information, and efficient coordination between departments. However, these devices are rarely cleaned and are frequently handled during or after patient examinations, often without proper hand hygiene between contacts 1 9 .
The human skin constantly interacts with microorganisms, with the average adult supporting approximately 10¹² bacterial cells across their skin surface. When we use mobile phones, we transfer these microorganisms from our hands, face, and ears onto the device 9 . The warmth generated by phones creates an ideal environment for bacterial survival and growth, allowing pathogens to persist on device surfaces for weeks 2 .
April 1 - June 3, 2023
Regional Hospital Bamenda, Cameroon
115 mobile phone swabs
From April 1 to June 3, 2023, researchers in Cameroon conducted a comprehensive investigation into bacterial contamination on mobile phones used by healthcare providers at the Regional Hospital Bamenda. The study aimed to identify exactly which bacteria were colonizing these essential communication devices in a typical African hospital setting 1 .
The research team collected 115 swab samples from the mobile phones of three categories of healthcare workers:
Researchers wore fresh sterile gloves for each sample collection. They moistened sterile cotton-tip swabs with sterile normal saline and thoroughly rolled them over phone surfaces—screens, keypads, and backs 1 .
The collected samples were immediately placed in a transportation box and delivered to the microbiology laboratory within an hour to prevent drying 1 .
The team prepared three types of growth media to support different bacteria: Blood agar for a wide variety of bacteria Chocolate agar for fastidious organisms MacConkey agar for Gram-negative bacteria 1
Samples were inoculated onto the prepared plates and incubated at 37°C. After 18-24 hours, researchers examined the grown bacteria and identified them using standard microbiological methods and biochemical tests 1 .
This rigorous approach ensured accurate identification of the bacterial species present on each device.
The results from the Cameroon study provided a clear picture of contamination patterns among different healthcare provider groups:
| Healthcare Provider Category | Number Sampled | Contamination Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Laboratory Personnel | 49 |
|
| Nurses/Midwives | 41 |
|
| Medical Doctors | 25 |
|
| Overall | 115 |
|
The research team isolated seven different types of bacteria from the mobile phones. The most frequently encountered were:
| Bacterial Species | Description | Health Concerns |
|---|---|---|
| Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) | Normal skin bacteria | Can cause infections in vulnerable patients |
| Staphylococcus aureus | Common skin and nasal bacterium | Includes antibiotic-resistant strains like MRSA |
| Streus | Environmental bacterium | Limited pathogenicity |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Water and soil bacterium | Can cause serious infections in immunocompromised patients |
| Escherichia coli | Intestinal bacterium | Indicator of fecal contamination |
| Bacillus species | Environmental spore-former | Mostly harmless, some pathogenic species |
| Neisseria species | Mucous membrane bacterium | Includes both harmless and pathogenic species |
Perhaps most notably, all mobile phones belonging to laboratory personnel showed bacterial contamination—the highest rate among the three professional groups studied. However, statistical analysis found no significant difference in contamination rates between the different categories of healthcare providers, suggesting this is a widespread challenge affecting all hospital staff 1 .
Conducting such a detailed microbial investigation requires specific laboratory materials and reagents. Here are the essential components used in the Cameroon study and similar research:
| Material/Reagent | Function in the Research |
|---|---|
| Sterile cotton-tip swabs | Sample collection from phone surfaces |
| Normal saline (0.9%) | Moistening swabs without damaging bacteria |
| Blood agar base | General growth medium for diverse bacteria |
| Sheep blood | Nutrient enrichment for blood agar |
| MacConkey agar | Selective growth of Gram-negative bacteria |
| Chocolate agar | Growth of fastidious bacteria |
| Transport media | Maintains sample viability during transport |
| Biochemical test reagents | Bacterial identification |
| Mueller-Hinton agar | Antibiotic susceptibility testing |
The Cameroon findings align with concerning patterns observed across Africa. A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis that incorporated 26 studies from across the continent revealed that the pooled prevalence of bacterial contamination on mobile phones used by healthcare workers was 84.5% 5 . The most dominant bacteria types found across Africa were:
Coagulase-negative staphylococci
Staphylococcus aureus
Escherichia coli
Another study from Zambia conducted in 2019 found a 79% contamination rate on healthcare workers' mobile phones, with 25% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates showing methicillin resistance (MRSA) 2 . These resistant bacteria pose particularly serious challenges for infection treatment and control.
The consistent evidence of mobile phone contamination across multiple studies and countries highlights an urgent need for comprehensive infection control strategies that include these frequently overlooked devices.
Consistent hand washing or disinfection before and after mobile phone use 1
Establishing protocols for cleaning mobile phones with appropriate disinfectants 2
Educating healthcare workers about the risks of mobile phone contamination 5
Creating clear guidelines for mobile phone use in healthcare settings 2
As the Cameroon researchers concluded, "There is an urgent need to implement and emphasize strategies such as hand washing and decontamination of mobile phones to limit nosocomial infections in the hospital" 1 .
The research from Cameroon provides a fascinating yet concerning glimpse into the microscopic world traveling with healthcare workers as they move through hospital corridors. These findings don't suggest that mobile phones have no place in healthcare—their benefits for communication and information access are undeniable. Rather, they remind us that even our most essential tools require mindful use and appropriate hygiene practices.
As science continues to reveal the hidden passengers on our everyday devices, we gain valuable knowledge that can help transform these potential Trojan horses into safer tools that heal rather than harm. The next time you reach for your phone, consider the invisible world at your fingertips—and the simple hygiene practices that can keep both healthcare providers and patients safer.