06 May,2009 07:38 AM IST | | Soma Das
It's not just radiation; a research shows that bacteria thrives in cellphones and could lead to life-threatening illnesses. iTALK gives you the dope and tells you how to protect yourself Ahmad Mirza spends around two hours chatting on his iPhone daily. pic / datta kumbhar
Case study
He takes his phone everywhere, even to the loo
Ahmad Mirza, 23, Business Executive
Owns: Apple iPhone
He sends: Over 30 SMSes a day.
He chats: For an hour-and-a-half every day.
He takes: His mobile everywhere, even to the loo.
He says: "I had no idea that mobiles breed bacteria, especially the touchscreen variety. I'm sure there are hundreds like me who use cellphones but are unaware of this fact. You usually are careful about iPod and discman headphones."
It follows you like a shadow. You wake up to a new dawn, and reach out for it before you rest your feet on the ground. You take it to the loo and let it balance precariously on your flush tank while you go about your morning business. It lies on your kitchen platform, and you hardly hesitate to soothe its incessant beeping even if you have a film of butter on your fingertips.
The cell phone is an extension of every urban Indian's existence, and the communication miracle machine might just end up giving us more than we bargained for; going by a recent study, even deadly infections.
Why bacteria love cell phones
What makes mobiles a hotbed for bacteria is the way we handle them. Infections are usually caused when micro-organisms from unwashed hands are transferred to the surface of the phone. The fact that cell phones offer a warm environment, helps microbes multiply. Since phones are usually stored in bags or in pockets, microbes have easy access to a warm environment. Sweat when transferred from our skin to the phone ups humidity, and moisture ends up aiding the growth of these organisms, explains Dr Supriya Amey, Consultant Microbiologist, Wockhardt Hospital. Over time, these microbes can cause infections in your skin and the soft tissue (like ligaments and muscles)
How you can protect yourself
The easiest option is to maintain thorough hand hygiene and handling your cell phone after washing your hands. "Wash your hands with a soap or use a hand-sanitiser. Ensure that you wipe the cell phone with an alcohol-based solution, using a tissue daily. If you are visiting a hospital or paying a visit to someone who is unwell, there's more likelihood of germs getting transferred. So, avoid carrying your cell phone altogether," she advises.
Types of mobile bacteria and the diseases they cause:
>> Candida can cause skin, respiratory and urinal infections.
>> Aspergillus can cause pneumonia.
>> Micrococcus can cause skin and respiratory illnesses, especially if the immune system is vulnerable.
>> Gram Negative bacteria can cause E coli, stomach and gastro problems and pneumonia.
Mobiles of health personnel contain deadly bacteria
Dr Chitra Pai Navi Mumbai's MGM Hospital
She and Nikhil Tambe from Navi Mumbai's MGM Hospital conducted a study that included 120 hospital care personnel, ranging from doctors, nurses, technicians to ward boys. They found 82.5% of cell phones contained microbes and isolated strains of bacteria like Staphylococcus (54.6%), Micrococcus (20.83%), Candida (6.66%), Aspergillus (5%), Diptheriods (5%) and Gram Negative bacteria (2.5%). The study was confined to hospital settings which are supposed to be sanitised.
Diabetics are at higher risk
Dr Pai stated that the type of bacteria present on the surface of cell phones could lead to skin infections, boils, food poisoning, even pneumonia. It could also act as a carrier of the flu virus. "But a lot depends on the strength of an individual's immunity. Individuals suffering from diabetes, HIV and cancer are more susceptible to some of these infections," she says.
Avoid: Sharing your cell phone with another individual. Bacteria spreads faster from person-to-person contact.
