Bacterial Flora on the Surface of Capacitive Display Screens

Capacitive display surfaces, such as those found on mobile phones and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), are ubiquitous and widely accessible to the public. These surfaces are frequently touched and could act as potential reservoirs for microbial contamination. Present study investigates distribution of bacterial flora on the screens of mobile phones and ATMs located at Begumpet, Hyderabad, India. For this study 10 samples were collected using sterile swabs, 5 each from mobile phone screens and ATM surfaces, available in residential area. Those were cultured on Nutrient Agar medium, which yielded 21 distinct bacterial isolates. Out of the total isolates, 17 were Gram-positive and 4 were Gram-negative. The number of rod-shaped bacteria were. 12, while 9 bacterial isolates were cocci-shaped. The bacteria were found to be highly resistance to several antibiotics, including Cefuroxime, Azithromycin, Gentamicin, and Ampiclox. Identification of the bacterial isolates using Bergey's Manual tests revealed predominant species like, Staphylococcus spp. (38.09%), Corynebacterium spp. (28.87%), Klebsiella spp. (9.52%), Streptococcus spp. (4.76%), Aeromonas spp. (9.52%), and Lactic acid bacteria (9.52%). This study, thus, highlights health risks associated with microbial contamination on commonly touched surfaces and emphasizes the need for enhanced hygiene practices, particularly in public spaces where capacitive display screens are frequently used.