TITLE:
Bacterial Contamination and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles on Shared Computer Devices at Gulf of Sidra University, Libya
AUTHORS:
Khalifa F. Elgadari, Omar S. Alqabbasi, Madiha W. El-Awamie, Nariman A. Elsharif
KEYWORDS:
Shared Computer Devices, Bacterial Contamination, Antimicrobial Resistance, Environmental Surveillance, University Setting, High-Touch Surfaces, AST, Libya
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.14 No.5,
May
8,
2026
ABSTRACT: In the academic environment, shared computer devices are frequently touched and may serve as reservoirs for environmental microorganisms and potential human-associated pathogens. However, data from universities in Libya remain limited. In this cross-sectional environmental microbiology study, we investigated bacterial contamination and antimicrobial resistance patterns on computer surfaces and related accessories at Gulf of Sidra University, Bin Jawad, Libya. The sampling frame comprised 35 computer devices, from which multiple surface samples were collected, resulting in 227 cultures for microbiological analysis. Specimens were obtained using sterile cotton swabs, cultured on conventional bacteriological media, identified by routine phenotypic methods with confirmatory species assignment using an automated system, and examined for antimicrobial susceptibility by disk diffusion interpreted according to CLSI guidelines. Of the 227 cultures examined, 186 (81.9%) showed microbial growth, whereas 41 (18.1%) showed no visible growth. Among growth-positive cultures, 184 of 186 (98.9%) yielded bacterial isolates, whereas two (1.1%) showed Candida spp. After exclusion of one isolate lacking susceptibility data, the final antimicrobial susceptibility testing cohort comprised 183 bacterial isolates. The most frequently recovered species were Bacillus subtilis (29.0%), Bacillus cereus (16.4%), and Staphylococcus warneri (15.8%). Resistance was not uniformly distributed across the isolate collection. The highest resistance frequencies were observed for cefixime and ceftazidime (43.2% each), followed by azithromycin (30.6%), whereas no resistant isolates were detected for amikacin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, or imipenem. Resistance burden differed significantly across species, with the highest burden observed in Acinetobacter haemolyticus and the lowest in Bacillus cereus. These findings suggest that shared academic computer surfaces may harbor diverse bacterial communities with structured, species-dependent resistance profiles, supporting the significance of routine hygiene measures and local environmental surveillance in the university context.