Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2026
Establishment and Maintenance of Gnotobiotic American Cockroaches (Periplaneta americana)
Published on: May 28, 2021
Cockroaches as potential vectors of nosocomial infections
Hsiu-Hua Pai1, Wei-Chen Chen, Chien-Fang Peng
1Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Objective:
To determine the possible role of cockroaches in the epidemiology of nosocomial infections.
Design:
Epidemiologic investigation of bacteria and fungi in cockroaches and evaluation of the antibiotic resistance of the bacteria isolated from the insects.
Setting:
Ninety hospitals in Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County in Taiwan.
Methods:
Cockroaches were collected in clinical and nonclinical areas and microorganisms were isolated from their external surface and alimentary tract. The susceptibilities of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, and Proteus species to 17 antibiotics were tested.
Results:
Cockroach infestation was found in 46.7% of the hospitals studied. Two hundred three cockroaches were collected (139 Periplaneta americana and 64 Blattella germanica). Periplaneta americana was found more often in nonclinical areas (64.5%) and B. germanica in clinical areas (78.1%). There was no statistically significant difference between Periplaneta americana (98.6%) and B. germanica (96.9%) regarding overall isolation rate (P > .05). However, 33 species of bacteria and 16 species of fungi were isolated from Periplaneta americana and only 23 and 12, respectively, from B. germanica. Resistance to ampicillin (13.7% to 100%), chloramphenicol (14.3% to 71.4%), tetracycline (14.3% to 73.3%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (14.3% to 57.1%) was found in two gram-positive and five gram-negative bacteria.
Conclusion:
Because cockroach infestation occurred in more than 40% of the hospitals and nearly all of the cockroaches harbored bacteria with multidrug resistance and fungi, cockroaches may play a potential role in the epidemiology of nosocomial infections in those hospitals.
Insights
Cockroaches in hospitals carry multidrug-resistant bacteria and fungi. This study found over 40% of hospitals infested, suggesting cockroaches may contribute to hospital-acquired infections.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Nosocomial infections pose a significant threat in healthcare settings.
- The role of arthropod vectors, such as cockroaches, in disease transmission within hospitals is an area of concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential role of cockroaches in the epidemiology of nosocomial infections.
- To identify bacteria and fungi harbored by cockroaches in hospital environments.
- To assess the antibiotic resistance patterns of isolated bacteria.
Main Methods:
- An epidemiologic study was conducted in 90 hospitals in Taiwan.
- Cockroaches were collected from clinical and non-clinical areas.
- Microorganisms were isolated, identified, and their antibiotic susceptibility was tested against 17 antibiotics.
Main Results:
- Cockroach infestation was present in 46.7% of surveyed hospitals.
- A high isolation rate of microorganisms was observed from both Periplaneta americana and Blattella germanica.
- Multiple species of bacteria and fungi were identified, with significant antibiotic resistance observed in common bacterial pathogens.
Conclusions:
- Cockroaches are frequently found in hospitals and carry a diverse range of microorganisms.
- The presence of multidrug-resistant bacteria and fungi on cockroaches indicates a potential risk for nosocomial infection transmission.
- Control of cockroach populations in healthcare facilities may be crucial in preventing hospital-acquired infections.
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