Evaluation of parasitical and fungal contamination in hospital environment cockroaches (Review article)

Introduction: Hospital-acquired infections have emerged as a cause of death and illness in people over recent year. Cockroaches, Blattodea order insects, act as an important mechanical vector for lots of pathogenicmicroorganism agents, including bacteria, protozoa, worms, fungi, and viruses amongst humans in hospital environments. Cockroaches are highly prevalent in residential homes, restaurants, and medical and financial institutions. They contaminate food and eating utensils, destroy fabric and paper products, and impart stains andunpleasant odors to surfaces they contact. They are able to transfer viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites and other medically significant pathogenic agents in infectious regions. These domestic pests affect human health inseveral ways. Materials and Methods: Cockroaches are found in different hospital sectors, as they are attracted by food,organic waste and fluids that are regularly discharged in such sites. Cockroaches were collected from the various parts of hospitals with sticky traps and the species were identified. Fungal and parasitical important microorganisms were isolated from external and internal surfaces (digestive system) of cockroaches. Results: Cockroaches such as Periplaneta americana and Blattela germanica have filthy habits with an ability to spoil food, transfer pathogens, and cause allergic reactions and psychological distress. In Poland, fromcockroaches bodies were isolated many strains of fungi: Trichosporon beigelii, Fusarium moniliformeis and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis. In Jimma Town, Southwestern Ethiopia, from cockroaches were isolated manystrains of parasite: Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Taenia spp, Strongyloideslike parasite, Entamoeba histolytica/ dispar/ moshkovski,Giardia duodenalis and Balantidium coli. In this study, the most predominant parasite isolated was the suspected Strongyloides-like parasite. In Nigeria, from 352 cockroaches, 331 cockroaches (94.0%) were positive for parasites. These parasites include Ballantidium coli trophozoites, Entamoeba histolytica (cysts), Ascaris lumbricoides (ova), Trichuris trichura (ova), Enterobius vermicularis (larvae), Ancylostoma duodenale (larvae) and Strongyloides stercoralis (larvae). In Gaza, Palestine, the results show 23.5% of the cockroaches harbored parasitic organisms. Of these, 57.4% were protozoa and the remaining 42.6% were pathogenic helminthes and non-pathogenic helminthes. In Mumbai, India, the fungi isolated from Periplaneta americana gut belonged to the species of Saccharomyces cerevisae, Fusarium sp., Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus niger. In All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital, various medically important fungi were isolated from test cockroaches. Candida spp., were isolated both from test and control group of cockroaches. In Hamadan hospitals, Iran, 74.4 % of cockroaches (Blattella germanica) harboured fungi: Candida (48.9%), Mucor (10.5%), Aspergillus niger (7.5%), Rhizopus (4.5%) and also Penicillium and Aspergillus fumigans each 1.5%. Some parasitic worms of medical importance were also isolated from the test cockroaches, but carriage rates were low. In this study, the most contaminations were related to surface of body (63%) and the rest (34%) was from gut of cockroaches. In Kashan hospitals, Iran, various medically important fungi were isolated from Periplaneta Americana: blastosistis huminis(37.8%), Enterobius vermicularis(29.4%), Taenia spp.(29.4), Endonimax nana(22.2%), Entamoeba coli(15.9%), Ascaris lumbricoides(11.8) and Giardia lambelia(11.4%).Discussion: Cockroaches constitute an important reservoir for infectious pathogens, therefore, control of cockroaches will substantially minimize the spread of infectious diseases in hospital environments. The importance of cockroaches as carrier of parasitic worm, cysts, or eggs, is because there are some reports about the presence of parasitic forms on or in cockroaches. The isolation of such fungi from cockroaches in hospital is alarming especially for patients such as recipients of bone marrow or organ transplants whose immune systems have been weakened. The data from all studies emphasis the importance of cockroaches as potential vectors of medically important microorganisms such as pathogenic parasites and fungi in hospital environments. The control or eradication of cockroaches should be attempted, to stop intestinal parasite transmission in the community, in addition to drug administration.

Keywords:

Cockroach , Parasitical contamination , fungal contamination , Hospital