Abstract

Iboh CI, Etim LB, Abraham JT and Ajang RO

A study to ascertain the role of American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) as reservoir and disseminator of pathogenic organism was conducted between January and May, 2013. This was accomplished by isolating and identifying micro-organisms from the external body surfaces of cockroaches trapped from different houses with open toilets and those with broken sewage systems. A total of 352 cockroaches were caught from these sites and 331 (94.0%) were positive for bacteria and 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). There was no significant difference (�??�?�- test, P>0.05) in the parasitic and bacterial infection rate of cockroaches irrespective of the sampling site. The bacterial species identified were Klebsiella pneumonia, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Salmonella species, Shigella sonnei, Vibrio cholerae, and Citrobacter freundii. This findings confirmed that cockroaches are not only nuisance in our houses but reservoirs and disseminators of pathogenic microorganisms to humans in our homes.