ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to determine the antibiotics susceptibility profile of bacterial isolates associated with cell phone surfaces of female students of Benson Idahosa University, Benin City, Nigeria. A total of fifty (50) cell phone swab samples were collected from 50 female students of BIU between May 17, 2021 and May 28, 2021. Bacteria species were isolated and identified using standard Microbiological techniques. The antibiogram was performed and interpreted based on the agar disk diffusion method as described by Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute ( CLSI). The presumptive isolates in this study were identified as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus species, Enterococcus species, and coagulase negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) species. Coagulase negative Staphylococcus (Staphylococcus species) were more frequently isolated (46%) compared to the other isolates. The presumptive Staphylococcus aureus isolates were resistant to ceftazidime (85%), cefotaxime (65%) and ampicillin (100%); whereas coagulase negative Staphylococcus species were resistant to ceftazidime (52.17%), cefotaxime (65.22%) and ampicillin (100%) while Enterobacter species was resistant to ceftazidime, cefotaxime, ampicillin, trimethroprim, trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole and ceftriaxone; and the Bacillus species were resistant to ceftazidime (66.67%), augmentin (66.67%), cefotaxime (100%), ampicillin (100%) and trimethroprim (66.67%). The most effective antibiotics in this study were imipenem, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and netilmicin while ampicillin, ceftazidime, cefotaxime and ceftriaxone were the least effective. The study demonstrated that mobile phones of female students of Benson Idahosa University were contaminated with multidrug resistant bacteria species of potential public health importance. There is therefore need for awareness campaign on hygiene practices among cell phone users within and outside the BIU community in order to preserve the public health.
