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Mobile phones have become necessary companions to most health care personnel and have been implicated as reservoirs of known nosocomial agents. This study was carried out to determine the type and frequency of microorganisms' contaminating mobile phones of health workers in a University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria. Swabs of 50 mobile phones were collected and cultured, and contaminants characterized. Forty three (86%) out of 50 mobile phones were positive for microbial contamination. Samples from doctors and medical students had 100% contamination and samples from nurses 70%. Six clinically important microorganisms were found. Staphylococcus sp was most predominant and constituted 30.2% while P. aeruginosa made up 14% and Klebsiella sp, 9.3% of the entire isolates. Given the frequent occurrence of potential pathogens as contaminants, there is the need for strict adherence to proper sanitary measures by all who operate in the hospital environment to avoid dissemination of pathogenic agents.

Knowledge of immunity in malariology can help in understanding the pathology, treatment and vaccine production. The effect of malaria disorder on CD4 and immune cells counts was carried out at a Teaching Hospital in Enugu, Eastern Nigeria between October-December 2018. Patients on doctor’s provisional diagnosis of malaria were examined for Plasmodium infections and the degree of parasitaemia (0, +, ++, and +++). Positive samples and negative ones (0) were thereafter examined for their CD4 (Flow cytometry) and immune cells (Automated blood cell counter) counts. 45 patients were studied. All the Plasmodium-negative specimens were within reference ranges of CD4 cell count (464–1308); with mean value of 835. The (+) parasitaemia showed lower ranges of CD4 count (502–1282); mean = 678; with immune falls in one (427). The 12 (++) parasitaemia showed crash in 9 CD4 cells counts; range: 301–415; mean = 399. All the 7 (+++) parasitaemia showed crashes in CD4 cell counts, range: 160–357; mean = 225. The CD4 cells falls and crashes were detected only in Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia infections. Depending on the CD4 cells count, also a reflex of parasitaemia, variances occur in the various immune cells’ percent and numeric. TWBC count fell in only 3 patients (1.99, 3.42 & 3.64) × 109 cells/L, corresponding to (+++), (++) & (+) parasitaemia, respectively. Low CD4 counts does not always produce low lymphocyte numeric, probably because other CD or killer cells compensates it. In conclusion, Plasmodium falciparum infection causes immuno-suppression in patients. Corollary, it means that malaria infection in the immunodeficients and AIDS patients will accelerate the complications as well as death, unlike prevailing reports.

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