Cockroaches Research Articles

T Cell Responses In Children With Asthma Against SARS-CoV-2 Correlates To Asthmatic Outcomes

Abstract SARS CoV-2 in children or special populations post-infection has not been well studied. Asthma is a heterogenous disease marked by chronic airway inflammation; triggers include cockroaches (CRA), and other inhaled irritants. Asthma also has links to viral infections like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Additionally, some with moderate to severe asthma are more likely to be hospitalized with COVID. T cells play key roles in asthma and control of viruses such; however, there is limited information connecting T cell responses in people with asthma to viral infections. We aimed to evaluate T cells and antibodies in an asthma confirmed cohort. Thirty-five children aged 5–17 years were included. We measured SARS CoV-2 spike (S) and Nucleoprotein (N) plasma antibody responses or effector functions and CD4, CD8 T cells specific to CRA or peptide pools made from RSV, S and N antigen using an activation induced markers (AIM) assay. Surprisingly, in this population many CD4 and CD8 T-cell AIM responses to S, N, CRA, and RSV were significantly associated, particularly for CD8 T-cells (Spearmans r = 0.57–0.76) and the restimulation antigens CRA and RSV. N-specific CD4 AIM was the only immune measure to correlate to a recent asthma attack within a month of the blood collection visit, though anti-N antibodies, CD4 AIM to CRA, RSV or CD8 AIM to CRA, RSV, or N antigens also correlated with asthmatic outcomes (e.g., ER visits, night waking from symptoms, etc.) whereas allergen specific IgE or anti-S IgG did not. Taken together these results indicate an immunological association between viral infection and asthma, broadly allowing for the conjecture that viral infections, in particular RSV and SARS-CoV-2 could act together as possible triggers of asthma.

Lophomonas blattarum: A new flagellate causing respiratory tract infections.

Lophomonas blattarum is a flagellate protozoan parasite which was originally described as a commensal in the gut of cockroaches. From the 1990s, reports started coming out of peoples Republic of China about its possible role in bronchopulmonary infections, and this was followed by reports from some other parts of the world as well. There had been some skepticism regarding the misidentification of bronchial ciliated epithelial cells as L. blattarum, but recent use of molecular diagnosis has come as an aid in clearing the controversy. This review focuses on the various aspects of the parasite including its biology, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, laboratory diagnosis, and the treatment aspects. Molecular diagnosis has recently been employed and more reports concerning its validation is needed. More basic research concerning the genomic and proteomic analysis is necessary to develop reliable molecular and serological tests for this parasite in future.

Correction: Genetic diversity of Entamoeba: Novel ribosomal lineages from cockroaches

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185233.].

The Importance of Cockroaches

The Importance of Cockroaches

Residual efficacy of deltamethrin applied on porous and non-porous surfaces against Sitophilus granarius (L.), Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) and Blattella germanica (L.):

Residual efficacy of the insecticide deltamethrin, EC formulation with 25 g/L AI + 225 g/L PBO (synergist piperonyl butoxide), against lab populations of S. granarius and P. interpunctella by applying product water solutions (12.5 mg AI/m2) to porous surface, and against B. germanica by applying them to non-porous surface, was investigated in laboratory (at 25±1°C and 55-60% r.h.). The mortality of cockroach adults on deposits aged 0, 14, 30 and 45 days was estimated after 30 minutes of their contact with the treated surfaces, and additional 24 h and 48 h of recovery, while the mortality of stored-product insects (adults or larvae) on 0, 7, 14 and 30 days old deposits was estimated after 2, 7 and 14 days of exposure to treated surfaces and additional 7 days of recovery. Mortality of cockroaches in all variants was 100%, except on 45 days old deposit and after 24 h of recovery, when it was 97%. Deltamethrin caused 0% weevil mortality after 2 days of exposure to deposits of all ages (0-30 days), while P. interpunctella larval mortality was 87-93%. However, mortality was 100% after 7 and 14 days of weevil/moth exposure in all variants of deposit ages and/or additional 7 days of recovery. The results show that deltamethrin applied to porous and non-porous surfaces is a highly effective insecticide for weevil/moth and cockroach control, and it showed a good residual activity for up to 30 and 45 days, respectively.

Lethal effect of Turkish diatomaceous earth (Bgn-1 ) agaınst adults of German cockroaches ( Blatella germanıca L.): Presentation

Lethal effect of Turkish diatomaceous earth (Bgn-1 ) agaınst adults of German cockroaches ( Blatella germanıca L.): Presentation

Contributions to some Corydiinae genera (Blattodea: Corydioidea: Corydiidae) from China

ABSTRACTNew findings on Chinese Corydiinae are presented and new taxa are described and illustrated: Ctenoblatta impubis gen. and sp. nov., Minicorydia maoxiana gen. and sp. nov. and Ergaula nepalensis (Saussure) is newly recorded from China. The occurrence of two species of Polyphaga Brullé, P. plancyi Bolívar and P. obscura Chopard, in China are confirmed. A key to Chinese Corydiinae genera is provided as well as checklists for extant Polyphaga and Ergaula.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F428E561-2A57-4DAD-8855-5879AB4599FB

WASTE GENERATION AND ITS MANAGEMENT IN SCHOOLS

Waste management in schools continues to generate thoughts, interest and research because of the huge amount of the refuse that schools generation which include papers, cartons, cans, broken bottles, polymers which can be recycled but are rather turned out as rubbish to be collected as refuse. These refuse from schools are collected alongside other household refuses and heaped on streets or refuse dump with it antecedent health challenges which include unsightly heap of refuse, the odour emanating from such heap and the heap being a breeding ground for disease vectors like mosquitoes, cockroaches, rodents, reptiles among others. Among all the significant contributors of environmental waste, schools have been chosen for this write up since the waste generation rate and its corresponding composition has not been reported or has been underestimated. Hence, the present paper is an attempt to fill up this gap in knowledge. The objective of this paper specifically is to raise awareness among educators, learners and their families of the cause and effect of poor waste management and the benefits of recycling, reuse and reduce as waste management strategies. Also, to provide environmental tools to enhance quality of life and assist schools with portfolio development and waste minimization projects. Article visualizations:

Termites (Insecta: Blattodea) buildings in urban located in the municipality of Seropédica, RJ

The Termites (Blattodea) are insects found between latitudes 52° N e 45° S in temperate climate places, such as in tropical areas. In Brazil, about 300 species were recorded belonging to four families: Kalotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae, Serritermitidae and Termitidae. Considered eusocial, they form colonies of individuals with overlapping generations, cooperative care of offspring and labor division. They develop by paurometabolism and are classified in caste with specific tasks within the colony. The staple food of termites is cellulose, but its source varies according to the species. In natural vegetation areas, termites have got an important ecological role, participating actively in recycling and decomposition of nutrients in ecosystems they inhabit. Besides of the positive contribution in changing soil porosity and aeration. In urban areas, 10% of the species are taken as plagues, causing enormous losses, explicit in cost with prevention, control and repair. Damage caused by termites in urban areas are mainly attributed to the species: Cryptotermes brevis (Walker, 1853), Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann, 1896) and Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky, 1896). Therefore, identifying termites species that colonize urban households in the municipality of Seropedica, RJ, has been the objective of this study. Three urban neighbourhoods: Fazenda Caxias, Boa Esperanca and Ecologia, were sampled. Building were inspectied and owners interviewed, totalling twelve residents per block in fifteen blocks per neighbourhood. Proportion of infested buildings with each species was made suing the χ 2 test and the probability level, from which a comparison was considered significant, was equal to the risk probability at 5% divided by the number of comparisons. Of the total 540 inspections, 30% of the households had occurrence of termites of which 50% C. brevis, 42% C. gestroi and 8% N. corniger. Coexistence of species within a residence was found in only 3% of the inspected households. The occurrence of moisture spots in residences was found in 34% of the most infested households (44%) over the moisture spotless (22%). Infestation history in the past five years was recorded in 31% of the households and in general, residences with previous history, were more infested (58%) than the residences without history (17%). Generally, the infestation by termites takes place via exotic and native species, being the exotic species more relevant in colonization of the municipality residences. Occurrence of N. corniger has not been identified at Ecologia neighbourhood, which had greatest occurrence of C. gestroi in attacked residences. Buildings without moisture spots are predominantly infested by C. brevis. The species C. gestroi and C. brevis are the most seen in residences with infestation history, whilst residences without infestation are predominantly damaged by the species C. brevis.

Flora indígena de cucarachas (Dictyoptera: Blattidae y Blattellidae): un análisis bacteriológico y ultraestructural

Intradomiciliary cockroaches ( Periplaneta americana Linnaeus 1753), P. australasiae Fabricius 1775), and Blattella germanica Linnaeus 1767) were collected in a Day Care Center (CEN-CINAI) and four foodstores of the Central Market, San Jose, Costa Rica. Enterobacter aerogenes, E. agglomerans, E. gergoviae, Citrobacter freundi, Klebsiella pneumoniae, K. oxytoca, Hafnia alvei, and Pseudomonas sp. were isolated from bodywash of the insects and from their intestinal contents. Scanning electron microscopy observations of the body and negative staining specimens of intestinal contents and ultrathin sections of intestine show abundant morphotypes of bacteriae, include bacilli and curve-shaped rods, some of them with periplasmic fibers.

Sensitization to cockroach allergens of asthma patients in Japan.

To evaluate the role of allergens from Periplaneta fuliginosa, which is the most predominant cockroach species in homes in Tokyo areas, for asthma sensitization, we measured specific IgE antibodies to two cockroaches, P. fuliginosa and Blattella germanica, and to a mite, Dermatophagoides farinae, in 171 sera from children with asthma by Pharmacia's CAP system. We found that 16% of the sera had anti-P. fuliginosa IgE, whereas 9.9% had anti-B. germanica and 85% anti-D. farinae IgE. Further, we measured the levels of Per f I (Per a I equivalent) allergen in the house dust from living room, kitchen and bedding. We detected the allergen in eight of ten homes. The Per a I equivalent levels in kitchen were higher than in other sites, but they were much lower than Der I and Der II as Dermatophagoides allergens.

CONTAMINATION OF MOTH MULLEIN (VERBASCUM BLATTARIA L.) SEEDS BY PHOMA NOVAE-VERBASCICOLA

Verbascum blattaria (Scrophulariaceae family) is a hardy perennial species that is used for the edges and flower beds of low-maintenance gardens. Phoma novae-verbascicola causes light brown necrotic spots on the leaves of V. blattaria seedlings. In order to demonstrate the seed transmission of this pathogen, several V. blattaria seeds belonging to three samples collected in 2013, were tested in vitro to detect the presence of P. novae- verbascicola. Two samples were found to be contaminated and colonies of the pathogen were isolated from the tested seeds. Phoma novae-verbascicola was identified from the morphological features observed in vitro and through an ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) analysis. The virulence of one isolate was confirmed by means of a pathogenicity test. This work demonstrates that P. novae-verbascicola can be transmitted by affected V. blattaria seeds.

Structural changes in fat body bacteriocytes deprived of their symbionts in Blattella germanica L. (blattodea)

RIASSUNTO I batteri simbionti del corpo grasso di Blattella germanica L. (Blattodea) sono stati eliminati somministrando all'insetto clortetraciclina durante l'intera vita ninfale e adulta. La perdita dei batteri ha determinato nei batteriociti degli individui trattati profonde modificazioni strutturali a carico sia del nucleo, sia del citoplasma. Tali modificazioni erano piu profonde nei batteriociti completamente privi del corredo simbiotico: essi non erano piu in grado di dividersi ed aumentavano notevolmente di dimensione. Questi batteriociti apparivano alquanto differenti da quelli degli individui i cui genitori sono stati trattati con antibiotico, sia per la struttura, sia per la loro disposizione all'interno dei lobi del corpo grasso.

Cockroaches as transport hosts of the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii.

The ttansmission of T. gondii is related with raw meat (Frenkel 1973) or oocyst ingestion. Oocysts are shed by cats (Jewell et al. 1972) and in the soil they are extremely resistant to environmental conditions (Frenkel el al. 1975). Oocys t infection occurs by fecal oral oontamination and may involve transport hosts such as house flies (Wallace 1971) or cockroaches (Wallace 1972).

Detection of allergen-specific serum IgE in patients with eczema or dermatitis: a multicenter study

Objective To identify common allergens in patients with eczema or dermatitis by using serum IgE tests, and to explore their clinical significance. Methods A retrospective study was carried out on eczema or dermatitis patients with at least one positive serum IgE test result from 10 hospitals in China. Results Totally, 458 patients were included in this study with an average age of 28.13 ± 23.11 years. Of these patients, 209 (45.63%) were male, and 249 (54.37%) were female. The top three allergens were cockroaches (180/458, 39.30%), dust mite mix(152/458, 33.19%) and peanuts (116/458, 25.33%). Polysensitization (sensitization to more than one allergen) was observed in 89.66% (26/29) of patients with atopic dermatitis and 86.84% (33/38) of patients with facial eczema. Moreover, the rate of polysensitization was significantly higher in patients with generalized lesions than in those with circumscribed lesions (80% (88/110) vs. 70.40% (245/348), χ2 = 3.880, P = 0.049). The positive rate of specific IgE against inhaled allergens was highest in the age group of 11 -20 years (39/43, 90.70%) , while the specific IgE against milk (26.53%, 26/98) and beef (19.39%, 19/98) was mainly observed in children aged less than 3 years. In addition, patients in northern areas showed increased positive rates of specific IgE to mugwort (10.35%vs. 1.61%, χ2 = 4.917, P < 0.05), cockroaches (42.42%vs. 19.35%, χ2 = 11.959, P < 0.05), milk (14.39%vs. 3.23%, χ2= 5.958, P < 0.05), soybeans (13.89%vs. 3.23%, χ2 = 5.594, P < 0.05), beef (11.36%vs. 1.61%, χ2 = 5.641, P < 0.05) and fresh-water fish (13.38%vs. 3.23%, χ2 = 5.235, P < 0.05) compared with those in southern areas. Conclusions Cockroaches are a common allergen in patients with eczema or dermatitis, and their clinical significance is worthy of further study. Polysensitization seems to be more frequent in patients with facial eczema or atopic dermatitis. Age is an important factor influencing allergen sensitization, and there is a regional difference in the distribution of common allergens. Key words: Eczema; Serum; Allergens; Immunoglobulin E; Multicenter study; Cockroaches; Regional difference

Functional symbiosis and communication in microbial ecosystems. The case of wood-eating termites and cockroaches.

Animal hosts typically have strong specificity for microbial symbionts and their functions. The symbiotic relationships have enhanced the limited metabolic networks of most eukaryotes by contributing several prokaryotic metabolic capabilities, such as methanogenesis, chemolithoautotrophy, nitrogen assimilation, etc. This review will examine the characteristics that determine bacterial "fidelity" to certain groups of animals (e.g., xylophagous insects, such as termites and cockroaches) over generations and throughout evolution. The hindgut bacteria of wood-feeding termites and cockroaches belong to several phyla, including Proteobacteria, especially Deltaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinomycetes, Spirochetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Actinobacteria, as detected by 16S rRNA. Termites effectively feed on many types of lignocelluloses assisted by their gut microbial symbionts. Although the community structures differ between the hosts (termites and cockroaches), with changes in the relative abundances of particular bacterial taxa, the composition of the bacterial community could reflect at least in part the host evolution in that the microbiota may derive from the microbiota of a common ancestor. Therefore, factors other than host phylogeny, such as diet could have had strong influence in shaping the bacterial community structure.

Effect of post-gut loading time on the macro-nutrient content of three feeder invertebrate species

Techniques for increasing the nutritional value of feeder invertebrates include dusting the prey items with a vitamin and mineral powder supplement, or providing the invertebrates with nutrient-rich food, called gut loading, prior to feeding to insectivores. However, the delay between gut loading of prey and consumption by insectivores varies according to feeding regime and may be considerable if prey is left in the vivarium. This study aimed to determine the effect of time post gut loading on the nutritional composition of three species of invertebrates, mealworms ( Tenebrio molitor larvae, approximately 23–30 mm), giant African land snails ( Achatina fulica , shell size 10–35 mm) and dubia cockroaches ( Blaptica dubia , approximately 20–30 mm). Feeder invertebrates were maintained on a dry commercial gut-loading diet, supplemented with fresh vegetables for 48 hours, after which the diet was removed. Samples of invertebrates (120 g of mealworms, 80 g of snails and 100 g of cockroaches) were taken for proximate analysis (dry matter, ash, crude fat and crude protein) at 0.5 h (excluding cockroaches), 1 h, 6 h and 12 h (excluding snails) using standard laboratory procedures. A one-way analysis of variance was performed to test for differences in nutrient content between time points in each species. Crude protein and fat contents of snails were significantly greater at 6 h compared to 0 h (P < 0.01). However, no other significant differences in nutrient content of snails or other species were detected at any time points. It is feasible that the increases in crude protein and fat of snails were a result of nutrient accumulation within the body. These findings indicate that in the species tested, with the exception of snails, delays of up to 12 hours between gut loading of the prey and their consumption by a carnivore are unlikely to affect the concentrations of macro-nutrients (protein, fat, dry matter and ash).

Even cockroaches have personalities

Even cockroaches have personalities

Five new species of soil burrowing cockroaches from Queensland (Blattodea: Blaberidae: Geoscapheinae)

Five new species of soil burrowing Geoscapheinae are described from Queensland: Macropanesthia intermorpha, M. lineopunctata, M. mutica, M. spuritegmina, and Neogeoscapheus hanni. Redescriptions of subfamilies Panesthiinae and Geoscapheinae are given, and a key to the genera of Geoscapheinae and keys to species of Macropanesthia and Neogeoscapheus are provided.

Inhalation versus food allergens in children with allergic rhinitis

Objective To investigate the distribution of inhalation and food allergens in children with allergic rhinitis in Fosha.Methods 300 children were detected by skin prick test in the past two years and then analyzed the distribution of allergens.Results In the inhalation group,243 of 300 cases (81.00％) got positive reaction; the top allergens were house dust mite,farina mite,tropical mite,blattella germanica,and dog hair.In the food group,the ratio of positive reaction was 35.00％ (105/300); the top common allergens were crab,shrimp,peanut,and peach.Conclusions The main allergens of children with allergic rhinitis in Foshan include dust mites,cockroaches,and seafood. Key words: Rhinitis; Allergic; Allergens; Skin test; Epidemiology; Children