The Role of Mobile Phones in Spreading MRSA and Multidrug-Resistant Microorganisms: From Hands to Wards
Home >
2025,
Vol. 11 No. 02 > The Role of Mobile Phones in Spreading MRSA and Multidrug-Resistant Microorganisms: From Hands to Wards
Published: October 30, 2025
Authors
Mukul Mudgal, Mahesh Kumar Seth, Rituparna Saha, Akriti Sharma, and Sandhya Khunger
Keywords
Mobile phones, Healthcare workers, MRSA, Multidrug-resistant bacteria, Nosocomial infections
Abstract
Background: Mobile phones are essential tools for healthcare workers (HCWs) but may act as reservoirs of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, contributing to hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).
Purpose: This study investigates bacterial contamination on HCWs’ mobile phones, their resistance patterns, and associated usage practices.
Methods: A six-month cross-sectional study was conducted at SGT Hospital, Gurugram. A total of 120 mobile phones (100 HCWs, 20 non-HCWs) were swabbed from commonly touched areas. Samples were cultured on standard media, and isolates were identified by morphological and biochemical methods. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of Staphylococcus aureus was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. PCR assays targeting 16S rRNA and mecA genes were used for molecular confirmation of bacterial isolates and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). A structured questionnaire assessed participants’ mobile phone usage and hygiene practices.
Results: Of the 120 phones, 95 (79.1%) showed bacterial contamination. Predominant isolates included diphtheroids (37.5%), S. aureus (27.5%), Micrococcus (26.6%), Bacillus (13.3%), and Acinetobacter (5.8%). Among 33 S. aureus isolates, 16 (48.5%) were MRSA by culture, while PCR confirmed 14 as mecA-positive. Resistance was highest to penicillin, erythromycin, and cefoxitin. Contamination correlated significantly with risk behaviors such as phone use in washrooms and lack of cleaning practices (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Mobile phones of HCWs are major reservoirs of MDR bacteria, particularly MRSA, posing a hidden risk of nosocomial transmission. Implementation of standardized phone-cleaning protocols and behavioral guidelines is essential to reduce device-mediated infection spread.
References
- Ahaskar, A. (2023). Indians binge on mobile phone use. Live Mint.
- Akbari, M., Seydavi, M., Sheikhi, S., & Wright, P. J. (2024). Exploring differences in four types of online activities across individuals with and without problematic smartphone use. Psychiatric Quarterly, 95(4), 579–597.
- Angadi, K. M., Misra, R., Gupta, U., Jadhav, S., & Sardar, M. (2014). Study of the role of mobile phones in the transmission of hospital-acquired infections. Medical Journal of Dr. D. Y. Patil University, 7(4), 435–438.
- Balkrishna, A., Singh, K., Haldar, S., & Varshney, A. (2022). Germi-X herbal-based spray disinfects smartphone surfaces: Implication on fomite-mediated infection spread. AMB Express, 12(1), 30.
- Brady, R., Wasson, A., Stirling, I., McAllister, C., & Damani, N. (2006). Is your phone bugged? The incidence of bacteria known to cause nosocomial infection on healthcare workers’ mobile phones. Journal of Hospital Infection, 62(1), 123–125.
- Campista-León, S., López-Espinoza, J. U., Garcia-Guerrero, J. T., Alfonso-Corrado, C., Clark-Tapia, R., & Peinado-Guevara, L. I. (2022). Determination of drug-resistant bacteria in palmar surface and touchscreen cell phones from bystanders in an urban community. Microbiological Research, 256, 126958.
- Chang, C.-H., Chen, S.-Y., Lu, J.-J., Chang, C.-J., Chang, Y., & Hsieh, P.-H. (2017). Nasal colonization and bacterial contamination of mobile phones carried by medical staff in the operating room. PLOS ONE, 12(5), e0175811.
- Czekaj, T., Ciszewski, M., & Szewczyk, E. M. (2015). Staphylococcus haemolyticus—An emerging threat in the twilight of the antibiotics age. Microbiology, 161(11), 2061–2068.
- Datta, P., Rani, H., Chander, J., & Gupta, V. (2009). Bacterial contamination of mobile phones of health care workers. Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology, 27(3), 279–281.
- Goyal, A. K. (2015). Studies on phantom vibration and ringing syndrome among postgraduate students. Indian Journal of Community Health, 27(1), 35–40.
- Goyal, A. K., & Saini, J. (2019). The phantom syndrome. Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry, 35(2), 102–107.
- Kõljalg, S., Mändar, R., Sõber, T., Rööp, T., & Mändar, R. (2017). High level bacterial contamination of secondary school students’ mobile phones. Germs, 7(2), 73–77.
- Morubagal, R. R., Shivappa, S. G., Mahale, R. P., & Neelambike, S. M. (2017). Study of bacterial flora associated with mobile phones of healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers. Iranian Journal of Microbiology, 9(3), 143–151.
- Mushabati, N., Samutela, M., Yamba, K., Ngulube, J., Nakazwe, R., Nkhoma, P., & Kalonda, A. (2021). Bacterial contamination of mobile phones of healthcare workers at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia. Infection Prevention in Practice, 3(2), 100126.
- Olsen, M., Campos, M., Lohning, A., Jones, P., Legget, J., Bannach-Brown, A., McKirdy, S., Alghafri, R., & Tajouri, L. (2020). Mobile phones represent a pathway for microbial transmission: A scoping review. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 35, 101704.
- Punj, J., Chaudhry, R., Sagar, T., & Chandran, D. (2022). Aerobic and anaerobic contamination of mobile phones of health personnel with probable transfer of bacterial microbes to their hands at a tertiary care hospital of India. Journal of Anaesthesiology Clinical Pharmacology, 38(3), 405–410.
- Qadi, M., Khayyat, R., AlHajhamad, M. A., Naji, Y. I., Maraqa, B., Abuzaitoun, K., Mousa, A., & Daqqa, M. (2021). Microbes on the mobile phones of healthcare workers in Palestine: Identification, characterization, and comparison. Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology, 2021, 8845879.
- Sharaf, E. J., Senok, A. C., Udo, E. E., & Botta, G. A. (2011). Trafficking of methicillin-resistant staphylococci and co-colonization with vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Medical Principles and Practice, 20(3), 253–258.
How to Cite
Mukul Mudgal, Mahesh Kumar Seth, Rituparna Saha, Akriti Sharma, and Sandhya Khunger. The Role of Mobile Phones in Spreading MRSA and Multidrug-Resistant Microorganisms: From Hands to Wards.
J. Multidiscip. Res. Healthcare. 2025, 11, 37-45
