Cellphones may spread superbugs in hospitals: study

Cellphones may spread superbugs in hospitals: study

www.breitbart.com

Cell phones belonging to hospital staff were found to be tainted with bacteria -- including the drug-resistant MRSA superbug -- and may be a source of hospital-acquired infections, according to study released Friday.

Researchers from the Ondokuz Mayis University in Turkey led by Fatma Ulger tested the phones and dominant hands of 200 doctors and nurses working in hospital operating rooms and intensive care units.

Ninety-five percent of the mobile phones were contaminated with at least one type of bacteria, with the potential to cause illness ranging from minor skin irritations to deadly disease.

Nearly 35 percent carried two types of bacteria, and more than 11 percent carried three or more different species of bugs, the study found.

Most worring, one in eight of the handsets showed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a virulent strain that has emerged as a major health threat in hospitals around the world.

Only 10 percent of staff regularly cleaned their phones, even if most followed hygiene guidelines for hand washing, the study noted.

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This is kinda creepy, don't you think??

I realize that cell phones are not going away and that they have their practical uses in an ER environment but this really gives me the willies. You'd think that they would have a plan in place for this. Hell, there are hand wash stations everywhere that you look in a hospital, why not a phone wipe station for the people that work there as well??

I guess that it because these "superbugs" are so hard to stop. I think that it also has to do with not being able to see what is making you sick. You know, the fact that we take for granted that our bodies will fight off the "bug" and we'll be fine in a week or whatever.

Is it just me or does this creep anyone else out a bit??


www.breitbart.com
(visit the link for the full news article)