title: Healthcare workers mobile phone usage: A potential risk for viral contamination. Surveillance pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mobile phones are commonly used by healthcare workers (HCW) in the working environment, as they allow instant communication and endless resource utilisation. Studies suggest that mobile phones have been implicated as reservoirs of bacterial pathogens, with the potential to cause nosocomial infection. This study aimed to investigate the presence of Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Adenovirus and Influenza Virus on HCWs mobile phones and to identify risk factors implied by HCWs practice of mobile phones in a clinical paediatric environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty HCWs' mobile phones were swabbed over both sides of the mobile phone, for testing of viral contamination during 8 days in January 2015. During the same period, a questionnaire investigating usage of mobile phones was given to 101 HCWs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten per cent of sampled phones were contaminated with viral pathogens tested for. A total of 91% of sampled individuals by questionnaire used their mobile phone within the workplace, where 37% used their phone at least every hour. Eighty-nine (88%) responders were aware that mobile phones could be a source of contamination, yet only 13 (13%) disinfect their cell phone regularly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mobile phones in clinical practice may be contaminated with viral pathogenic viruses. HCWs use their mobile phone regularly while working and, although the majority are aware of contamination, they do not disinfect their phones.
authors.affiliation: a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, the Faculty of Health Sciences , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer Sheva , Israel ;
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cavari
authors.affiliation: b Division of Pediatrics, the Faculty of Health Sciences , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer Sheva , Israel ;
authors.forename: Or
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.affiliation: a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, the Faculty of Health Sciences , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer Sheva , Israel ;
authors.forename: Aviva
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zander
authors.affiliation: b Division of Pediatrics, the Faculty of Health Sciences , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer Sheva , Israel ;
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hazan
authors.affiliation: c Laboratory of Clinical Virology, the Faculty of Health Sciences , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer Sheva , Israel ;
authors.forename: Yonat
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shemer-Avni
authors.affiliation: d Infectious Diseases Unit, Soroka Medical Center, the Faculty of Health Sciences , Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer Sheva , Israel.
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borer
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D040421:Cell Phone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000821:virology; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019562:Viral Load; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology
keywords: Viral infection; healthcare workers; mobile phone; nosocomial infection