Degree of bacterial contamination of mobile phone and computer keyboard surfaces and efficacy of disinfection with chlorhexidine digluconate and triclosan to its reduction

Abstract

The main aim of our study was to verify the effectiveness of simple disinfection using wet wipes for reduction of microbial contamination of mobile phones and computer keyboards. Bacteriological swabs were taken before and after disinfection with disinfectant wipes with active ingredients chlorhexidine digluconate and triclosan. The incidence and type of microorganisms isolated before and after disinfection was evaluated; the difference was expressed as percentage of contamination reduction. Our results confirmed the high degree of surface contamination with bacteria, some of which are opportunistic pathogens for humans. Before the process of disinfection, on both surfaces, mobile phones, and computer keyboards, the common skin commensal bacteria like coagulase-negative staphylococci were diagnosed most frequently. On the keyboards, species of the genus Bacillus and representatives of the family Enterobacteriaceae were abundant. The potentially pathogenic species were represented by Staphylococcus aureus. Cultivation of swabs performed 5 min after disinfection and subsequent calculation of the reduction of contamination have shown that simple wiping with antibacterial wet wipe led to a significant reduction of microbial contamination of surfaces, with effect ranging from 36.8 to 100%.