Contamination of Cockroaches (Insecta: Blattaria) by Medically Important Bacteriae: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Cockroaches have the potential to disseminate bacteria in their environments and therefore a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the state-of-the-art of our knowledge regarding bacterial contaminants of cockroaches. At least 78 bacterial species and 42 genera from 24 families and 11 orders of bacteria were reported to have contaminated cockroaches. At least 61, 42, 12, 13, 7, and 16 bacterial species have contaminated Blattella germanica (L.) (Blattaria: Ectobiidae), Periplaneta americana (L.) (Blattaria: Blattidae), Blatta orientalis (L.) (Blattaria: Blattidae), Diploptera punctata (Eschscholtz) (Blattaria: Blaberidae), Periplaneta fuliginosa (Serville) (Blattaria: Blattidae), and Supella longipalpa (F.) (Blattaria: Ectobiidae), respectively. Blattella germanica is the most commonly contaminated cockroach species, with the widest bacterial species diversity that threatens human health, followed by P. americana. Cockroach bacterial contaminants may result in the dissemination of opportunistic or pathogenic infections, particularly nosocomial and foodborne infections. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant differences between bacterial contaminant species of cockroaches, species of cockroaches with bacterial contaminants, cockroach body part surfaces from the point of view bacterial contaminants and countries of cockroach infested with bacterial contaminants (P < 0.05). This statistical analysis indicates that the bacterial contaminants of the external cockroach body parts are potentially more harmful than from internal surfaces, and secondly, the bacterial contaminants of cockroaches in hospital environments are potentially more harmful than from other human environments. The survey indicated that the bacterial contaminant species of cockroaches appear to be mostly multiple drug resistant. The challenges of cockroaches as being potential vectors of pathogenic or opportunistic agents of human infections are discussed.

An Examination of Flying Insects in Seven Hospitals in the United Kingdom and Carriage of Bacteria by True Flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae, Dolichopodidae, Fanniidae, Muscidae, Phoridae, Psychodidae, Sphaeroceridae)

Insects are efficient vectors of bacteria and in the hospital environment may have a role in spreading nosocomial infections. This study sampled the flying insect populations of seven hospitals in the United Kingdom and characterized the associated culturome of Diptera, including the antibiotic resistance profile of bacterial isolates. Flying insects were collected in seven U.K. hospitals between the period March 2010 to August 2011. The bacteria carried by Diptera were isolated using culture-based techniques, identified and characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing. A total of 19,937 individual insects were collected with Diptera being the most abundant (73.6% of the total), followed by Hemiptera (13.9%), Hymenoptera (4.7%), Lepidoptera (2.9%), and Coleoptera (2%). From Diptera, 82 bacterial strains were identified. The majority of bacteria belonged to the Enterobacteriaceae (42%), followed by Bacillus spp. (24%) and Staphylococcus spp. (19%). Less abundant were bacteria of the genus Clostridium (6%), Streptococcus (5%), and Micrococcus (2%). A total of 68 bacterial strains were characterized for their antibiotic resistance profile; 52.9% demonstrated a resistant phenotype to at least one class of antibiotic. Staphylococcus spp. represented the highest proportion of resistant strains (83.3%), followed by Bacillus spp. (60%) and Enterobacteriaceae (31.3%). Diptera were the predominant flying insects present in the U.K. hospital environments sampled and found to harbor a variety of opportunistic human pathogens with associated antimicrobial resistance profiles. Given the ability of flies to act as mechanical vectors of bacteria, they present a potential to contribute to persistence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogenic bacteria in the hospital environment.

Molecular analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from clinical, environmental and cockroach sources by ERIC-PCR

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate the antibiotic susceptibility, virulence factors and clonal relationship among Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from environmental sources, hospitalized patients and the surfaces of cockroaches in the ICUs of four hospitals in Hamadan, west of Iran. A total of 237, 286 and 156 bacterial isolates were collected from clinical, environmental and cockroach sources respectively from May to September, 2017. The antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using disk diffusion method. The virulence factors, exotoxins A, S and U were detected by PCR. The genetic linkage of P. aeruginosa isolates were analyzed by Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus (ERIC)-PCR.

RESULTS

According to our findings, 58 (24.4%), 46 (16%) and 5 (3.25) P. aeruginosa were isolated from clinical, environmental and cockroach samples respectively. The MDR phenotypes were detected in 18 (45%) and 15 (37.5%) of clinical and environmental strains. The environmental isolates harbored more exoA and exoS than did clinical isolates. Genetic diversity was established among P. aeruginosa isolates as 14 different ERIC fingerprints were detected. The clonal relationships was detected among clinical, environmental and cockroach isolates. Our results highlighted the importance of identifying and controlling the potential sources of P. aeruginosa infections in hospitals.

Infestation of cockroaches (Insecta: Blattaria) in the human dwelling environments: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Periplaneta americana, Blatta orientalis, Blattella germanica and Supella longipalpa are the most common worldwide cockroaches that mentioned in the "22 common pest" or "22 dirty" species named as "group I". They are able to infest any type of buildings. A meta-analysis review was conducted between January 2015 and July 2016 on any literature published about infestation of cockroaches. Scientific reports and papers about infestation of cockroaches and relevant topics were collected from various specific scientific websites such as PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Springer, Elsevier, Scopus, and Google Scholar. About 271 scientific reports and papers were collected and after a preliminary review, 63 were selected to become part of the detailed synthesis review and meta-analysis. Results showed that the global world mean infestation trend of cockroaches, and B. germanica and P. americana cockroach species ranged 49.0-55.0, 40.0-70.0 and 60.0-70.0%, respectively suggests that their infestation trend are increasing. The global world mean infestation of cockroaches, and B. germanica and P. americana cockroach species were 52.3, 55.2 and 65.4, respectively. There was a significant difference between the global world mean infestation of cockroaches and P. americana cockroach species (P=0.019). The global mean infestation trend of cockroaches in the human dwelling environments and world ranged 55.0-65.0 and 50.0-70.0%, respectively suggests that their infestation trend are increasing. The global world mean infestation of cockroaches in the human dwelling environments and world were 60.4 and 57.7%, respectively. Although some factors affect the infestation of cockroaches and the sanitation and quality structure of the buildings are also being improved. While as present study reveal that the globally the world infestation trend of cockroaches are being increased and recent studies also indicate that the prevalence of asthma has increased dramatically over the decades suggest that infestation of cockroaches can directly affect the development of asthma.

First Report of German Cockroaches (Blattella germanica) as Reservoirs of CTX-M-15 Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase- and OXA-48 Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in Batna University Hospital, Algeria

Here we report the isolation of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)- and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae from German cockroaches caught in the burn unit of Batna University Hospital in Algeria. Nine of 12 isolates harbored the blaCTX-M-15 ESBL gene. One Enterobacter cloacae isolate belonging to sequence type 528 coexpressed the blaOXA-48, blaCTX-M-15, and blaTEM genes. Our findings indicate that cockroaches may be one of the most dangerous reservoirs for ESBL and carbapenemase producers in hospitals.

Promise for plant pest control: root-associated pseudomonads with insecticidal activities

Insects are an important and probably the most challenging pest to control in agriculture, in particular when they feed on belowground parts of plants. The application of synthetic pesticides is problematic owing to side effects on the environment, concerns for public health and the rapid development of resistance. Entomopathogenic bacteria, notably Bacillus thuringiensis and Photorhabdus/Xenorhabdus species, are promising alternatives to chemical insecticides, for they are able to efficiently kill insects and are considered to be environmentally sound and harmless to mammals. However, they have the handicap of showing limited environmental persistence or of depending on a nematode vector for insect infection. Intriguingly, certain strains of plant root-colonizing Pseudomonas bacteria display insect pathogenicity and thus could be formulated to extend the present range of bioinsecticides for protection of plants against root-feeding insects. These entomopathogenic pseudomonads belong to a group of plant-beneficial rhizobacteria that have the remarkable ability to suppress soil-borne plant pathogens, promote plant growth, and induce systemic plant defenses. Here we review for the first time the current knowledge about the occurrence and the molecular basis of insecticidal activity in pseudomonads with an emphasis on plant-beneficial and prominent pathogenic species. We discuss how this fascinating Pseudomonas trait may be exploited for novel root-based approaches to insect control in an integrated pest management framework.

Differential habitat use and niche partitioning by Pseudomonas species in human homes

Many species of Pseudomonas have the ability to use a variety of resources and habitats, and as a result Pseudomonas are often characterized as having broad fundamental niches. We questioned whether actual habitat use by Pseudomonas species is equally broad. To do this, we sampled extensively to describe the biogeography of Pseudomonas within the human home, which presents a wide variety of habitats for microbes that live in close proximity to humans but are not part of the human flora, and for microbes that are opportunistic pathogens, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From 960 samples taken in 20 homes, we obtained 163 Pseudomonas isolates. The most prevalent based on identification using the SepsiTest BLAST analysis of 16S rRNA (http://www.sepsitest-blast.de) were Pseudomonas monteilii (42 isolates), Pseudomonas plecoglossicida, Pseudomonas fulva, and P. aeruginosa (approximately 25 each). Of these, all but P. fulva differed in recovery rates among evaluated habitat types (drains, soils, water, internal vertebrate sites, vertebrate skin, inanimate surfaces, and garbage/compost) and all four species also differed in recovery rates among subcategories of habitat types (e.g., types of soils or drains). We also found that at both levels of habitat resolution, each of these six most common species (the four above plus Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas oryzihabitans) were over- or under-represented in some habitats relative to their contributions to the total Pseudomonas collected across all habitats. This pattern is consistent with niche partitioning. These results suggest that, whereas Pseudomonas are often characterized as generalists with broad fundamental niches, these species in fact have more restricted realized niches. Furthermore, niche partitioning driven by competition among Pseudomonas species may be contributing to the observed variability in habitat use by Pseudomonas in this system.