Cockroaches (Periplaneta americana L. and Blattella germanica) as Potential Vectors of Nosocomial Infections in Hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan

Cockroaches are termed as one of the common place pest because of its wide distribution in human dwelling localities including houses, hospitals, food industries and kitchens. Its wide distribution in hospitals can be related to poor sanitary conditions, unhygienic environment, plenty of food sources and moist shady places. Their foraging behavior make them ideal vector for spreading pathogenic microbes. Worldly 7-73% of neonatal mortality is associated with nosocomial infections. Frequency of nosocomial infections is increasing day by day. Previous studies have implicated cockroaches as potential carriers of microorganisms in different parts of the world. This study was carried out to evaluate causal relationship between nosocomial infection causative agents and microbial fauna of cockroaches. Clinical samples were collected from those patients who admitted in hospitals and caught fever or any site-specific infections after 48 hours of admission into ICU and surgical wards. The collected samples were grown onto selective culture media and isolated bacteria were identified by using biochemical tests. Cockroaches were aseptically trapped from ICU and surgical wards. Microbial screening was done for cockroaches by growing saline suspension onto selective and differential media and bacterial isolates were identified by chemical tests. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), Shigella, Salmonella and Enterococcus spp., were more prevalent isolates in all samples. Bacterial presence in clinical samples of suspected patients and on cockroach’s body parts revealed their close relationship. Thus, cockroaches are probably playing a key role as vector for spreading nosocomial infections in ICU and strict environmental cleaning standard operating procedures (SOPs) should be adopted to reduce the risk of infection of this vector.