*[1]Famojuro, O. B., [2]Famojuro, T. I., 3Adewusi, O. M., and 4Oluwatobi, O. B.
1Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Nigeria
2Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
3Seal Healthcare Limited, Ipaja, Lagos State, Nigeria
4Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria
*Correspondence to: olaniran.oluwatoyin@oouagoiwoye.edu.ng; +2349062214760
Abstract:
Background: The increasing usage of mobile phones in healthcare settings is cause for concern because these gadgets could be used to disseminate harmful bacteria. This study aimed to detect the presence of bacterial pathogens and carriage of metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) genes in Gram-negative bacteria from mobile phones of healthcare workers (HCWs) and medical students at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2022. Mobile phones of one hundred and twenty-one HCWs and medical students were swabbed with sterile cotton swabs and inoculated in peptone water overnight, and then sub-cultured on selective media (eosin methylene blue agar, cetrimide agar, Salmonella-Shigella agar, and mannitol salt agar). Bacterial isolates were identified using the standard bacteriological method. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. The phenotypic presence of MBL and MBL genes was verified using the combined disc method and polymerase chain reaction, respectively.
Results: Ninety-seven bacteria isolates were identified from mobile phones of 72 participants, giving a prevalence of 59.5%, with 65 (67.0%) Gram-positive and 32 (33.0%) Gram-negative isolates. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent isolate (n=49, 50.5%) and were resistant to azithromycin (63.3%) and ceftazidime (69.4%), but sensitive (100%) to imipenem. Carbapenem resistance (resistance to imipenem and meropenem) was reported in 28.6% (2/7) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 25.0% (2/8) of Klebsiella pneumoniae and 33.3% (1/3) of Klebsiella oxytoca isolates. Coagulase-negative staphylococci exhibited the highest resistance to ceftazidime (75%), while P. aeruginosa exhibited the highest resistance to aztreonam and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. The blaVIM was detected in 2 of the 32 (6.3%) Gram-negative isolates.
Conclusion: Carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria isolates carrying blaVIM. MBL were isolated from mobile phones of HCWs, which could be a source for the spread of multidrug-resistant nosocomial infections.
Keywords: antibiotic resistance, blaVIM, bacterial contaminants, mobile phones, health workers
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