Healthcare Derived Smart Watches and Mobile Phones are Contaminated Niches to Multidrug Resistant and Highly Virulent Microbes
Syrine Boucherabine,1,* Rania Nassar,1,2,* Lobna Mohamed,1 Matthew Olsen,3 Fatma Alqutami,1 Shroque Zaher,1 Mahmood Hachim,1 Abdulmajeed Alkhajeh,4 Simon McKirdy,5 Rashed Alghafri,3,5– 7 Lotti Tajouri,3,5,7 Abiola Senok1 1College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicin...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Dove Medical Press
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Infection and Drug Resistance |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.dovepress.com/healthcare-derived-smart-watches-and-mobile-phones-are-contaminated-ni-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-IDR |
| _version_ | 1811209570511486976 |
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| author | Boucherabine S Nassar R Mohamed L Olsen M Alqutami F Zaher S Hachim M Alkhajeh A McKirdy S Alghafri R Tajouri L Senok A |
| author_facet | Boucherabine S Nassar R Mohamed L Olsen M Alqutami F Zaher S Hachim M Alkhajeh A McKirdy S Alghafri R Tajouri L Senok A |
| author_sort | Boucherabine S |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Syrine Boucherabine,1,* Rania Nassar,1,2,* Lobna Mohamed,1 Matthew Olsen,3 Fatma Alqutami,1 Shroque Zaher,1 Mahmood Hachim,1 Abdulmajeed Alkhajeh,4 Simon McKirdy,5 Rashed Alghafri,3,5– 7 Lotti Tajouri,3,5,7 Abiola Senok1 1College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 2Oral and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; 3Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD, Australia; 4Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 5Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia; 6General Department of Forensic Sciences and Criminology, Dubai Police, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 7Dubai Police Scientists Council, Dubai, United Arab Emirates*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Abiola Senok, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Building 14, Dubai Healthcare City, P. O. Box 505055, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tel +97143838717, Email abiola.senok@mbru.ac.aeBackground: As high touch wearable devices, the potential for microbial contamination of smart watches is high. In this study, microbial contamination of smart watches of healthcare workers (HCWs) was assessed and compared to the individual’s mobile phone and hands.Methods: This study was part of a larger point prevalence survey of microbial contamination of mobile phones of HCWs at the emergency unit of a tertiary care facility. Swabs from smart watches, mobile phones and hands were obtained from four HCWs with dual ownership of these digital devices. Bacterial culture was carried out for all samples and those from smart watches and mobile phones were further assessed using shotgun metagenomic sequencing.Results: Majority of the participants were females (n/N = 3/4; 75%). Although they all use their digital devices at work and believe that these devices could harbour microbes, cleaning in the preceding 24 hours was reported by one individual. Predominant organisms identified on bacterial culture were multidrug resistant Staphylococcus hominis and Staphylococcus epidermidis. At least one organism identified from the hands was also detected on all mobile phones and two smart watches. Shotgun metagenomics analysis demonstrated greater microbial number and diversity on mobile phones compared to smart watches. All devices had high signatures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and associated bacteriophages and antibiotic resistance genes. Almost half of the antibiotic resistance genes (n/N = 35/75;46.6%) were present on all devices and majority were related to efflux pumps. Of the 201 virulence factor genes (VFG) identified, majority (n/N = 148/201;73%) were associated with P. aeruginosa with 96% (n/N = 142/148) present on smart watches and mobile phones.Conclusion: This first report on microbial contamination of smart watches using metagenomics next generation sequencing showed similar pattern of contamination with microbes, VFG and antibiotic resistance genes across digital devices. Further studies on microbial contamination of wearable digital devices are urgently needed.Keywords: smart watches, mobile phones, microbial contamination, shotgun sequencing |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:41:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f075138a2b9346be9d4d7b83cc18e64b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1178-6973 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:41:48Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Dove Medical Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Infection and Drug Resistance |
| spelling | doaj.art-f075138a2b9346be9d4d7b83cc18e64b2022-12-22T03:47:38ZengDove Medical PressInfection and Drug Resistance1178-69732022-09-01Volume 155289529978026Healthcare Derived Smart Watches and Mobile Phones are Contaminated Niches to Multidrug Resistant and Highly Virulent MicrobesBoucherabine SNassar RMohamed LOlsen MAlqutami FZaher SHachim MAlkhajeh AMcKirdy SAlghafri RTajouri LSenok ASyrine Boucherabine,1,* Rania Nassar,1,2,* Lobna Mohamed,1 Matthew Olsen,3 Fatma Alqutami,1 Shroque Zaher,1 Mahmood Hachim,1 Abdulmajeed Alkhajeh,4 Simon McKirdy,5 Rashed Alghafri,3,5– 7 Lotti Tajouri,3,5,7 Abiola Senok1 1College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 2Oral and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; 3Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, QLD, Australia; 4Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 5Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia; 6General Department of Forensic Sciences and Criminology, Dubai Police, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 7Dubai Police Scientists Council, Dubai, United Arab Emirates*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Abiola Senok, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Building 14, Dubai Healthcare City, P. O. Box 505055, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tel +97143838717, Email abiola.senok@mbru.ac.aeBackground: As high touch wearable devices, the potential for microbial contamination of smart watches is high. In this study, microbial contamination of smart watches of healthcare workers (HCWs) was assessed and compared to the individual’s mobile phone and hands.Methods: This study was part of a larger point prevalence survey of microbial contamination of mobile phones of HCWs at the emergency unit of a tertiary care facility. Swabs from smart watches, mobile phones and hands were obtained from four HCWs with dual ownership of these digital devices. Bacterial culture was carried out for all samples and those from smart watches and mobile phones were further assessed using shotgun metagenomic sequencing.Results: Majority of the participants were females (n/N = 3/4; 75%). Although they all use their digital devices at work and believe that these devices could harbour microbes, cleaning in the preceding 24 hours was reported by one individual. Predominant organisms identified on bacterial culture were multidrug resistant Staphylococcus hominis and Staphylococcus epidermidis. At least one organism identified from the hands was also detected on all mobile phones and two smart watches. Shotgun metagenomics analysis demonstrated greater microbial number and diversity on mobile phones compared to smart watches. All devices had high signatures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and associated bacteriophages and antibiotic resistance genes. Almost half of the antibiotic resistance genes (n/N = 35/75;46.6%) were present on all devices and majority were related to efflux pumps. Of the 201 virulence factor genes (VFG) identified, majority (n/N = 148/201;73%) were associated with P. aeruginosa with 96% (n/N = 142/148) present on smart watches and mobile phones.Conclusion: This first report on microbial contamination of smart watches using metagenomics next generation sequencing showed similar pattern of contamination with microbes, VFG and antibiotic resistance genes across digital devices. Further studies on microbial contamination of wearable digital devices are urgently needed.Keywords: smart watches, mobile phones, microbial contamination, shotgun sequencinghttps://www.dovepress.com/healthcare-derived-smart-watches-and-mobile-phones-are-contaminated-ni-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-IDRsmart watchesmobile phonesmicrobial contaminationshotgun sequencing |
| spellingShingle | Boucherabine S Nassar R Mohamed L Olsen M Alqutami F Zaher S Hachim M Alkhajeh A McKirdy S Alghafri R Tajouri L Senok A Healthcare Derived Smart Watches and Mobile Phones are Contaminated Niches to Multidrug Resistant and Highly Virulent Microbes Infection and Drug Resistance smart watches mobile phones microbial contamination shotgun sequencing |
| title | Healthcare Derived Smart Watches and Mobile Phones are Contaminated Niches to Multidrug Resistant and Highly Virulent Microbes |
| title_full | Healthcare Derived Smart Watches and Mobile Phones are Contaminated Niches to Multidrug Resistant and Highly Virulent Microbes |
| title_fullStr | Healthcare Derived Smart Watches and Mobile Phones are Contaminated Niches to Multidrug Resistant and Highly Virulent Microbes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Healthcare Derived Smart Watches and Mobile Phones are Contaminated Niches to Multidrug Resistant and Highly Virulent Microbes |
| title_short | Healthcare Derived Smart Watches and Mobile Phones are Contaminated Niches to Multidrug Resistant and Highly Virulent Microbes |
| title_sort | healthcare derived smart watches and mobile phones are contaminated niches to multidrug resistant and highly virulent microbes |
| topic | smart watches mobile phones microbial contamination shotgun sequencing |
| url | https://www.dovepress.com/healthcare-derived-smart-watches-and-mobile-phones-are-contaminated-ni-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-IDR |
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