Cockroaches (Blattella germanica) as carriers of microorganisms of medical importance in hospitals

Abstract

SUMMARY: A study was conducted to isolate and identify microorganisms of medical importance from cockroaches (Blattella germanica) and to ascertain their vector potential in the epidemiology of nosocomial infections. Bacteria, fungi and parasites of medical importance were isolated and identified. Important bacterial pathogens responsible for wound infections, were further studies by antibiograms. One hundred and fifty-eight out of 159 (99·4%) cockroaches collected from hospital (test) and 113 out of 120 (94·2%) cockroaches collected from residential areas (control) were carrying medically important microorganisms (P < 0·05). A significantly higher (P < 0·001) number of test cockroaches were carrying a higher bacterial load (1 × 10⁴ and 1 × 10⁵) as compared to control cockroaches. Multiple drug-resistant bacteria were isolated from test cockroaches. The diversity of drug-resistant bacterial species isolated from test cockroaches suggests their involvement in the transmission of drug-resistant bacteria. Various fungi and parasitic cysts of medical importance were also isolated from the test and control cockroaches, but the carriage rates were low. The findings suggest that cockroaches, in hospitals, can act as potential vectors of medically important bacteria/parasites/fungi.