Phone Health Risks

[Anchor Lead]

Mobile phones have become an indispensable device these days, especially for students. But a study has found that mobile phones may cause food poisoning. Teenagers' mobile phones were randomly tested and food poisoning bacteria were found on three out of ten mobile phones.

[Pkg]

Student have cellphones glued to their hands. The phones remain in their hands even when they chat with their friends.

[Soundbite] "(Reporter: Do you use your mobile phone often?) Student: Yes, I do. (Reporter: Have you ever disinfected your phone?) Student: No, I just wipe the screen clean."]

A study found that these mobile phones, a necessity for many students, may harbor food poisoning bacteria. Since last year, the Health and Environment Institute of the Daejeon Metropolitan Government has randomly sampled 116 mobile phones belonging to students... and found Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in 34 phones or about 30% of the sample. These pathogenic bacteria are the main causes of food poisoning. Teenagers with weak immune systems tend to be more susceptible to infectious diseases. Also, infectious diseases can spread faster in confined spaces like schools.

[Soundbite] Lee Tae-ho(Researcher, Daejeon Health and Environment Institute) : "Since food poisoning bacteria were found on some phones, mobile phones can be the medium for infectious diseases."

Doctors recommend that people wash their hands after handling their mobile phones and disinfect the devices frequently by cleaning them with anti-bacterial tissues.