Epidemic viruses often contaminate mobile phones used by healthcare workers.

Thirty-nine percent of mobile phones held by health care workers at a French hospital were contaminated with epidemic viruses, according to recent findings published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection. “Nowadays, mobile phones are frequently used by health care workers [HCWs] during care,” Elisabeth Botelho-Nevers, MD, PhD, in the department of infectious diseases at the University of Lyon in France, told Infectious Disease News. “We demonstrated for the first time that RNA of epidemic viruses are present on mobile phones used by HCWs.” In previous studies, up to 25% of mobile phones were found to be contaminated with bacteria, the researchers wrote. In addition, more than 50% of HCWs admitted to using mobile phones in their clinical environment during contact with patients. At the University Hospital of Saint-Étienne, Botelho-Nevers and colleagues examined common mobile phone practices and assessed the presence of viral RNA on the devices from metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, rotavirus and norovirus. They surveyed 114 HCWs working in either an adult (n = 58) or pediatric (n = 56) department. Surveyed HCWs included senior physicians (n = 25), residents (n = 30), nurses (n = 32) and nurses’ assistants (n = 27). Both personal and work phones were sampled, and viral RNA was extracted using real-time quantitative PCR. The researchers found that senior physicians and residents more frequently used their personal mobile phones compared with nurses and nurses’ assistants (33/55 vs. 10/59; P < .001). Mobile phones were more often used in adult wards than in pediatric wards (46/58 vs. 27/56; P < .001), and cordless hospital phones were disinfected less frequently in pediatric wards. Viral RNA was found on 38.5% of mobile phones, with rotavirus detected on 39 of 109 devices, respiratory syncytial virus on three and metapneumovirus on one. No viral RNA from norovirus or influenza was detected. These results indicate that mobile phones must be disinfected in clinical settings, the researchers noted. “This work does not support the ban of the use of mobile phones in hospitals,” Botelho-Nevers said. “We just want to make HCWs aware that mobile phones, which are part of our daily practice, can be contaminated by pathogens and notably viruses. “The use of disinfection wipes to clean phones and adherence to hand hygiene are crucial to prevent cross-transmission of pathogens. Contributed by healio.com

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