Abstract
BackgroundCockroaches have been described as potential vectors for various pathogens for decades; although studies from neonatal intensive care units are scarce. This study assessed the vector potential of cockroaches (identified as Blatella germanica) in a neonatal intensive care unit setup in Tikur Anbessa Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.MethodsA total of 400 Blatella germanica roaches were aseptically collected for five consecutive months. Standard laboratory procedures were used to process the samples.ResultsFrom the external and gut homogenates, Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter spp. Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter diversus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Providencia rettgeri, Klebsiella ozaenae, Enterobacter aeruginosa, Salmonella C1, Non Group A streptococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter spp. and Shigella flexneri were isolated. Multi-drug resistance was seen in all organisms. Resistance to up to all the 12 antimicrobials tested was observed in different pathogens.ConclusionCockroaches could play a vector role for nosocomial infections in a neonatal intensive care unit and environmental control measures of these vectors is required to reduce the risk of infection. A high level of drug resistance pattern of the isolated pathogens was demonstrated.
Highlights
Cockroaches are one of the common-place pests widely distributed in public places, including hospitals, food industries and kitchens [1,2]
A total of 400 cockroaches were collected from the neonatal intensive care unit of Tikur Anbessa Hospital from mid-February 2011 to mid-July 2011
There were a total of 231 isolates of 12 species of pathogenic bacteria from the gut and external homogenates of these cockroaches
Summary
Cockroaches are one of the common-place pests widely distributed in public places, including hospitals, food industries and kitchens [1,2]. They feed on animal products, meat and grease, starchy food, sweets and unprotected materials [3]. A recent study (2010) in central Tehran, Iran reported that at least 25 different species of medically important bacteria, the most frequent being Klebsiella spp., were isolated from Blatella germanica and Periplaneta americanaI collected from public hospitals and a residential house. This study assessed the vector potential of cockroaches (identified as Blatella germanica) in a neonatal intensive care unit setup in Tikur Anbessa Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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