EMERGING MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT Escherichia coli AND Staphylococcus aureus ISOLATED FROM MOBILE PHONES OF STAFF AND STUDENTS IN A POLYTECHNIC

This study investigated the antibiotic resistance profile of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus isolated from mobile phones of staff and students of Fidei Polytechnic Gboko. Samples were collected from sixty (60) mobile phones of staff (30) and students (30) of the institution by swabbing mobile phones with swab sticks moistened with peptone water. The samples were inoculated on Mannitol salt agar and Eosin methylene blue agar and incubated at 37 0C for 24hrs. Further characterization of isolates was achieved by Gram-staining and Biochemical tests. The results obtained from all samples in the study revealed that Escherichia coli 29 (46.7%) and Staphylococcus aureus 33(53.3%) were present on mobile phones. Antibiotic resistance test on the isolates by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method revealed that Staphylococcus aureus isolates were all resistant Ampiclox, Cefuroxime, and Amoxicillin 33(100%), followed by Septrin 30(90.9%), Gentamycin 16(48.48%), Erythromycin 15(45.45%), Streptomycin 14(42.4%), Ciprofloxacin 12(36.36%), and Perfloxacin 11(33.3%) while the least resistance was observed with the antibiotic Ceftriaxone 10(30.3%). Escherichia coli isolated from mobile phones in this study were all resistant to Septrin, Amoxicillin and Augmentin 29(100%), resistance to Gentamycin were 27(93.1%) followed by Ofloxacin 26(89.7%). E. coli isolates also showed significant resistance to Streptomycin 25(86.2%), Sparfloxacin 25(86.2%), Ciprofloxacin 25(86.2%) and Perfloxacin 21(72.4%). In this study Escherichia coli showed the least resistance to Chloramphenicol 14(48.3%). The presence of multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria on mobile phones that receive little or no cleaning by users presents a major threat to human life in this part of the world. It is recommended that routine handwashing and proper cleaning of mobile phones will check the spread of multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria.