Concern for medical students due to their cell phones’ comparatively high contamination with <i>Pantoea agglomerans</i> bacteria with reduced sensitivity to some antimicrobials

Abstract

The significance of Pantoea agglomerans bacteria in diseases linked to healthcare is underappreciated due to a shortage of information on their spread. This is the first study in Saudi Arabia to examine the possible contribution of medical students’ cell phones (CPs) to the transmission of P. agglomerans to hospitalized patients and to evaluate their antibiotic susceptibility profiles. In total, 250 CPs were swabbed. P. agglomerans was isolated and identified using standard techniques. The suspected colonies were confirmed by the Vitek 2 compact system. The isolates’ antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were assessed using Epsilon assays, and the results were interpreted according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. The frequency of P. agglomerans contamination of CPs was found to be relatively high (20.40%; 51 isolates/250 samples). Many isolates showed varying degrees of reduced sensitivity to ampicillin, aztreonam, cefazolin, cefotaxime, cefuroxime, and ertapenem antibiotics. To implement optimal infection prevention and control policies regarding the possibility of antibiotic-resistant P. agglomerans transmission through medical students’ contact points with hospitalized patients during their frequent activities in healthcare settings, health policymakers may find value in utilizing this study’s results.