Returning from a trip, just a week ago, Ejide was at an ice cream shop for the family and in effort to get some, a piece of ice-cream chocolate fall on his mobile phone surface and without much thought and not wanting to waste it, he simply licks his device and went to the bathroom to further clean it, so life goes on.
Ejide, who is more mobile due to his work which takes him from one part of the country to another, navigating with the aid of his mobile phones comes handy, but, suddenly he took ill with boils in private areas, and skin itching.
Initially, following the symptoms, he decided to Google search. The result was baffling as it is unbelievable in the first instance. Being a faithful husband, he shared his concern with the wife, who insisted in her faithfulness to the husband too.
For harmony to return to the family, both Tanisha and Ejide agreed to go for formal medical check, of course with the doctor, who after listening to their predicament, recommended they conduct medical tests for close outcome which included but not limited to the test for Staphylococcus.
What about Staph Aureaus?
According to experts at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, South West Nigeria, Staphylococcus or Staph is an infection caused by bacteria commonly found on the skin or in the nose. They also posited that Staph can be spread from person to person and is very contagious. While common symptoms include boils and oozing blisters. Staph can also cause food poisoning resulting in nausea, vomiting and stomach ache.
In rare cases, the experts noted that Staph infections can turn deadly if the bacteria invade deeper into the body or enters the bloodstream resulting in fever, joint and muscle pain. Even as treatment often includes drainage of the infection and antibiotics.
Noteworthy is a type called Staphylococcus aureus which causes most infections. Staph bacteria could cause many different types of infections, including skin infections, known as the most common types of staph infections, whereas the bacteremia, an infection of the bloodstream, has the possibility of leading to sepsis, a very serious immune response to infection.
Yes, treatable by a medical professional, and described as very common, as at the point of this report, Nigeria has over 1.5 million infected by Staphylococcus annually, though it requires a medical diagnosis consisting of laboratory tests or imaging, it spreads in various ways, but could be resolved within days or weeks.
How it spreads even on phone:
Staphylococcus is known to spread by skin-to-skin contact such as handshakes or hugs; touching a contaminated surface like mobile devices in this era of digital mobility.
In a study conducted by Tambe and Pai (2012) 83 per cent of screened mobile phones of the Healthcare workers (HCWs) showed bacterial or/and fungal contamination. In a separate study, researchers found that 95 per cent of phones were contaminated with some kind of bacteria, many of which were resistant to multiple antibiotics, according to the National Health Institute.
Additionally, Medical experts at NorthWestern University recently pointed out that some bacteria could be found on phone, alluding to several studies which showed that cell phones and tablets harbor infectious bacteria, including Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, E. coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), an antibiotic-resistant pathogen. E. coli and Enterococcus faecalis bacteria are from fecal material and cause fever, diarrhea and nausea.
They postulated that when a mobile phone user, for instance, holds a dirty phone to his or her face, tendency is that bacteria enters the person’s pores, causing minor skin breakouts, or even more serious conditions, including E. coli, MRSA, staph infections and influenza.
Bathroom disease:
Equally, for instance, Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is most often associated with “strep throat” and impetigo known as blisters on the skin. On rare occasions, GAS can cause severe, life-threatening illness like toxic shock syndrome and necrotizing fasciitis (flesh eating disease).
For the Director, Microbiology at the NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, Dr. Susan Whittier and her team in a recent research on some 19 mobile phones taken everywhere people go, including the bathroom were curious how this affected the phones, and if there could be any bacteria, pathogens, or anything else on them. The result confirmed that there exist some bacteria indeed, especially from the toilets.
On the other hand, experts at Mayo Clinic, said that MRSA infection is usually caused by a type of staph bacteria that has become resistant to many of the antibiotics used.
For harmony to return to the family, both Tanisha and Ejide agreed to go for formal medical check, of course with the doctor, who after listening to their predicament, recommended they conduct medical tests for close outcome which included but not limited to the test for Staphylococcus.
What about Staph Aureaus?
According to experts at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, South West Nigeria, Staphylococcus or Staph is an infection caused by bacteria commonly found on the skin or in the nose. They also posited that Staph can be spread from person to person and is very contagious. While common symptoms include boils and oozing blisters. Staph can also cause food poisoning resulting in nausea, vomiting and stomach ache.
In rare cases, the experts noted that Staph infections can turn deadly if the bacteria invade deeper into the body or enters the bloodstream resulting in fever, joint and muscle pain. Even as treatment often includes drainage of the infection and antibiotics.
Noteworthy is a type called Staphylococcus aureus which causes most infections. Staph bacteria could cause many different types of infections, including skin infections, known as the most common types of staph infections, whereas the bacteremia, an infection of the bloodstream, has the possibility of leading to sepsis, a very serious immune response to infection.
Yes, treatable by a medical professional, and described as very common, as at the point of this report, Nigeria has over 1.5 million infected by Staphylococcus annually, though it requires a medical diagnosis consisting of laboratory tests or imaging, it spreads in various ways, but could be resolved within days or weeks.
How it spreads even on phone:
Staphylococcus is known to spread by skin-to-skin contact such as handshakes or hugs; touching a contaminated surface like mobile devices in this era of digital mobility.
In a study conducted by Tambe and Pai (2012) 83 per cent of screened mobile phones of the Healthcare workers (HCWs) showed bacterial or/and fungal contamination. In a separate study, researchers found that 95 per cent of phones were contaminated with some kind of bacteria, many of which were resistant to multiple antibiotics, according to the National Health Institute.
Additionally, Medical experts at NorthWestern University recently pointed out that some bacteria could be found on phone, alluding to several studies which showed that cell phones and tablets harbor infectious bacteria, including Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, E. coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), an antibiotic-resistant pathogen. E. coli and Enterococcus faecalis bacteria are from fecal material and cause fever, diarrhea and nausea.
They postulated that when a mobile phone user, for instance, holds a dirty phone to his or her face, tendency is that bacteria enters the person’s pores, causing minor skin breakouts, or even more serious conditions, including E. coli, MRSA, staph infections and influenza.
Bathroom disease:
Equally, for instance, Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is most often associated with “strep throat” and impetigo known as blisters on the skin. On rare occasions, GAS can cause severe, life-threatening illness like toxic shock syndrome and necrotizing fasciitis (flesh eating disease).
For the Director, Microbiology at the NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, Dr. Susan Whittier and her team in a recent research on some 19 mobile phones taken everywhere people go, including the bathroom were curious how this affected the phones, and if there could be any bacteria, pathogens, or anything else on them. The result confirmed that there exist some bacteria indeed, especially from the toilets.
On the other hand, experts at Mayo Clinic, said that MRSA infection is usually caused by a type of staph bacteria that has become resistant to many of the antibiotics used.
MRSA is a group of gram-positive bacteria that are genetically distinct from other strains of Staphylococcus aureus. MRSA is responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans, according to the Wikipedia.com.
Your phone filthier than toilet:
Infectious Disease expert at the Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation (IHPI) University of Michigan, USA, Dr. Emily Martin said that most people don’t give a second thought to using their cell phone everywhere, from their morning commute to the dinner table to the doctor’s office.
Your phone filthier than toilet:
Infectious Disease expert at the Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation (IHPI) University of Michigan, USA, Dr. Emily Martin said that most people don’t give a second thought to using their cell phone everywhere, from their morning commute to the dinner table to the doctor’s office.
But research shows that cell phones are far dirtier than most people think, and the more germs they collect, the more germs you touch.
In fact, your own hand is the biggest culprit when it comes to putting filth on your phone. Americans check their phones about 47 times per day, according to a survey by Deloitte, which affords plenty of opportunities for microorganisms to move from your fingers to your phone.
“Because people are always carrying their cell phones even in situations where they would normally wash their hands before doing anything, cell phones do tend to get pretty gross,” Dr Martin who is an assistant professor of epidemiology at U-M's School of Public Health said.
In fact, your own hand is the biggest culprit when it comes to putting filth on your phone. Americans check their phones about 47 times per day, according to a survey by Deloitte, which affords plenty of opportunities for microorganisms to move from your fingers to your phone.
“Because people are always carrying their cell phones even in situations where they would normally wash their hands before doing anything, cell phones do tend to get pretty gross,” Dr Martin who is an assistant professor of epidemiology at U-M's School of Public Health said.
Research, ITREALMS gathered, has varied on just how many germs are crawling on the average cell phone, but a recent study found more than 17,000 bacterial gene copies on the phones of high school students. Scientists at the University of Arizona have found that cell phones carry 10 times more bacteria than most toilet seats.
Some bacteria must concern you:
But some bacteria should concern you. “We’re not walking through a sterile environment, so if you touch a surface there could be something on that. There are lots of environmental contaminants," said Susan Whittier, director of clinical microbiology at New York-Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center.
Luckily, there are easy ways to avoid some germs as said by these experts, even as they agreed one of the worst places to use your phone is in the bathroom, Martin and Whittier both agreed, stressing that when toilets flush, they spread germs everywhere, which is how phones end up with fecal bacteria like E. coli.
“Taking a cell phone into the bathroom and then leaving with it is kind of like going in, not washing your hands and then coming back out. It’s the same level of concern," Martin said.
How to properly keep your mobile phone clean?
Further, experts outlined some ways to properly clean your mobile phones, these include to avoid using harmful products; use of soft cloths for cleaning; turning off your device; follow up with a disinfecting wipe; avoid unsanitary areas; use tape on lint and sand and being careful when using water or liquid.
With above cleaning exercise in mind, only God knows how many families or relationships that contaminated mobile phones have put to mental confusion if not separated where suspicions have upper-hand.
However, take home on the ravaging mobile phone infections nowadays, especially for Ejide was the realisation that on daily basis, he takes his mobile device to the bathroom at night, mostly when there is no public power supply in his area of abode in the city of Lagos and he had to resort to using mobile phone torch to navigate round his apartment.
How to properly keep your mobile phone clean?
Further, experts outlined some ways to properly clean your mobile phones, these include to avoid using harmful products; use of soft cloths for cleaning; turning off your device; follow up with a disinfecting wipe; avoid unsanitary areas; use tape on lint and sand and being careful when using water or liquid.
With above cleaning exercise in mind, only God knows how many families or relationships that contaminated mobile phones have put to mental confusion if not separated where suspicions have upper-hand.
However, take home on the ravaging mobile phone infections nowadays, especially for Ejide was the realisation that on daily basis, he takes his mobile device to the bathroom at night, mostly when there is no public power supply in his area of abode in the city of Lagos and he had to resort to using mobile phone torch to navigate round his apartment.
This habit, he also realised has been consistent and almost on daily basis. Therefore, being on guard of this traits like many other mobile phone-infleunced behaviour is worthy of note and self-conscious too.
Only God knows how many homes this kind of scenery may have broken.
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