Cell phones belonging to hospital staff were found to be tainted with bacteria — including the drug-resistant MRSA superbug — and may be a source of hospital-acquired infections, according to study released on Friday.
Researchers from the Ondokuz Mayis University in Turkey led by Fatma Ulger tested the phones and dominant hands of 200 doctors and nurses working in hospital operating rooms and intensive care units.
Ninety-five percent of the mobile phones were contaminated with at least one type of bacteria, with the potential to cause illness ranging from minor skin irritations to deadly disease.
Nearly 35 percent carried two types of bacteria, and more than 11 per cent carried three or more different species of bugs, the study found.
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