SEMINAR ON ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BACTERIA PATHOGENS ASSOCIATED WITH MOBILE PHONES IN FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NEKEDE OWERRI

ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BACTERIA PATHOGENS ASSOCIATED WITH MOBILE PHONES IN FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NEKEDE OWERRI BY OKORO JECINTA ONYEKACHI 12/0011/ST MBAOGU OLUCHI DEBORAH 12/0012/ST A PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY TECHNOLOGY, SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL, AND APPLIED SCIENCES, FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, NEKEDE, OWERRI. IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF NATIONAL DIPLOMA (ND) IN SCIENCE LABORATORY TECHNOLOGY. DECEMBER, 2014 CERTIFICATION This is to certify that this project was done by Okoro Jecinta Onyekachi and Mbaogu Oluchi Deborah under the supervision of Mr. Mbata T.I. and has been accepted and approved by the Department of Science Laboratory Technology of the School of Industrial and Applied Sciences of Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of National Diploma in Science Laboratory Technology (Biology/Microbiology Option). …………………………………. ………………………… MR. MBATA T.I DATE (SUPERVISOR) …………………………………. ………………………… MR. NWANZE P.I DATE (HEAD of DEPARTMENT) …………………………………. ………………………… EXTERNAL SUPERVISOR DATE DEDICATION We gladly dedicate this research work to the almighty God for its possible and successful completion.   ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Our gratitude goes to our able Supervisor, Mr. Mbata, T.l, who has been of encouragement to us. We also express our gratitude to our loving parents Mr. and Mrs. Mathias Okoro and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Mbaogu for their moral and financial support, which has really made it possible for us to attain this greater height and to our siblings for their love and prayers. Finally, we express our profound gratitude to God Almighty who is the source of our strength and inspiration, for with him, we can do all things.   ABSTRACT This study was conducted to determine the bacterial contamination of mobile phones and to identify the most important bacterial species associated with these phones. A total of 60 samples were collected from the mobile phones of students and staff who volunteered, health care workers, and commercial centres all within Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri, Nigeria. The following bacteria were isolated; Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Bacillus sp, Proteus sp, Kiebsiella sp, and Enterococcus sp, at the rate of 33.3, 21.7, 15.0, 11.7, 8.3, 6.7, 3.3% respectively. The study revealed that mobile phones of cleaners had largest variety of bacteria in this study. This may be as a result of long time exposure to the environment and usage while cleaning. Mobile phones of nurses had higher number of pathogenic bacteria when compared with those of lecturers. This result showed that mobile phones may serve as a vehicle for the transmission of disease. CALL 08032849308 FOR FULL MATERIAL