ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF METHICILLIN – RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (MRSA) CONTAMINATING MOBILE PHONES OF STUDENTS AT FEDERAL UNIVERSITY BIRNIN KEBBI

ABSTRACT Mobile phones are essential personal devices that are frequently exposed to various environments, making them potential carriers of pathogenic microorganisms. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a major antibiotic-resistant pathogen, has been increasingly identified outside hospital settings, raising concerns about its community spread, particularly in academic environments. This study aimed to isolate and identify MRSA contaminating mobile phones of students at Federal University Birnin Kebbi. A total of 30 mobile phones were randomly sampled using sterile swab sticks moistened with normal saline. The samples were cultured on Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) to isolate presumptive Staphylococcus aureus. Gram staining, catalase, and coagulase tests were used for preliminary identification. Confirmatory detection of MRSA was carried out using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method with Cefoxitin (30 µg) on Mueller-Hinton Agar, following Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. The results revealed that out of the 30 mobile phones sampled, Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from several, and only 2 isolates were confirmed as MRSA, representing 6.7% of the total. These findings indicate that mobile phones may serve as reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, posing a potential public health risk within the university community. It is recommended that awareness be raised on proper hand hygiene and routine disinfection of mobile phones to reduce the risk of MRSA transmission among students.