The majority of cockroaches from the Samutprakarn province of Thailand are carriers of parasitic organisms
Loading...
Date
2011-12-02
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
We undertook a study of the mechanical transmission of parasitic organisms in cockroaches in the Samutprakarn province of Thailand. In this study, 920 cockroaches were obtained from 18 open-air shopping markets in 5 districts and 1 subdistrict of this province. All cockroaches were captured during their feeding time in their natural habitat. Direct wet smear and modified
acid-fast bacilli staining were used to identify the parasites from the external surface or cuticle of the cockroaches. The results show that 498 (54.1 %) of the cockroaches harbored parasitic organisms. Of these, 56.1 % were protozoa and the remaining 43.9 % were helminthes
(pathogenic helminthes- 1.4 %, non-pathogenic helminthes- 42.5 %). Of the pathogenic helminthes, the species included Strongyloides stercoralis (6 instances of the free-living adult male, 0.8 %), Ascaris lumbricoides (2 decorticated eggs, 0.3 %), Trichuris trichiura (2, 0.3 %), and Taenia spp. (1 egg, 0.1 %). The protozoa types that were identified included Cyclospora spp. (10 oocysts, 1.3 %), Endolimax nana (10 cysts, 1.3 %), B. hominis (9 instances of the vacuolated form, 1.2 %), Isospora belli (75 oocysts, 9.6 %), Entamoeba histolytica/E.
dispar (36 cysts, 4.6 %), Cryptosporidium spp. (220 oocysts, 28.1 %), Chilomastix mesnilli (2 cysts, 0.3 %), Entamoeba coli (31 cysts, 4.0 %), Balantidium coli (45 trophozoites, 5.8 %), and Iodamoeba butschlii (1 cyst, 0.1 %). These results show that cockroaches isolated from
these markets are carriers of several parasitic organisms that cause commonly found symptoms of illness such as diarrhea or bowel disorder.
Description
Table of contents
Keywords
cockroaches, helminthes, mechanical transmission, parasitic organisms, protozoa