ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to isolate and identify the microbial pathogens on the external body surfaces of Periplaneta americana collected from toilet areas, residential/hostel areas and health facilities in Umuahia, Abia State. A total of 100 cockroaches from toilets (30), residential/hostel areas (46) and health facilities (24) in Umuahia were collected and their external body parts screened for bacterial, fungal and parasitological carriage. Escherichia coli (20.00%) and Klebsiella species (17.14%) were the most common bacteria in the cockroaches analyzed while, Staphylococcus aureus (21.74%) assumed rather high values in those gotten from health facilities. Aspergillus species (33.16%) was the most prevalent fungal group. Quantitative analysis of the total viable count and microbial loads of the bacterial and fungal isolates from the three sites revealed that the isolates obtained from toilet areas were high as compared to those from residential areas and health facilities. Parasitological investigations revealed the preponderance of Ascaris lumbricoides (32%) in all the sampled areas. Antibiotics susceptibility of all the bacterial organisms isolated showed that those obtained from health facilities were highly resistant to the antibiotics used as compared to those from toilet and residential/toilet areas. This result indicated that Periplaneta americana is a possible reservoir of several pathogens via their bodies and thus may spread multiple drug resistant species.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE i

CERTIFICATION ii

DEDICATION iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv

TABLE OF CONTENT v

LIST OF TABLES vi    

ABSTRACT vii

                                                      CHAPTER ONE

1.0       INTRODUCTION 1-3                                                                                                

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY 3

1.2 RATIONALE OF STUDY 3

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 4

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 4

1.5 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 4

                                                     CHAPTER TWO

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.1 HABITAT 5

2.2 FEEDING 5

2.3 IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION 5-6

2.4 COCKROACHES AND DISEASE TRANSMISSION 6-8

                                                   CHAPTER THREE

3.0      MATERIALS AND METHODS 9

3.1      STUDY AREA 9

3.2      MATERIALS 9-10

3.3      CAPTURE AND COLLECTION OF COCKROACHES 10

3.4 PROCESSING OF COCKROACHES 11

3.5      MEDIA PREPARATION 11

3.6      IDENTIFICATION OF PARASITES 11

3.7 QUANTITATIVE ESTIMINATION OF BACTERIAL AND FUNGAL 

            ISOLATES 12

3.8 ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF FUNGAL 

            ISOLATES 12

3.9 ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF BACTERIAL 

           ISOLATE 12-13

3.9.1    GRAM STAIN 13

3.9.2    CATALASE TEST 14

3.9.3 COAGULASE TEST 14

3.9.4 CITRATE TEST 14

3.9.5 MOTILITY, INDOLE, UREASE TEST 14-15

3.9.6 TRIPLE SUGAR IRON (TSI) TEST 15

3.10 ANTIBOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING 16

3.11 DATA ANALYSIS 16

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 RESULT 17-30

 CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 DISCUSSION, CONCLUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION 31

5.1 DISCUSSION 31-33

5.2 CONCLUSION 33

5.3 RECOMMENDATION 33

REFFERENCES

                                                  LIST OF TABLES

TABLE                                      TITLE PAGE

1 Number of cockroaches analyzed from the sample areas. 19

2 Morphological characteristics of the bacterial isolates 20

3 Gram and biochemical characterization of the bacterial isolates 21

4 Relative abundance of bacteria harbored on the external body surfaces of cockroaches collected from all the sample areas. 22

5 Microbial load of bacteria harbored on the external body surfaces of cockroaches collected from all the sample areas. 23

6 Colonial morphology and microscopic appearance of the fungal isolates. 24

7 Relative abundance of fungi harbored on the external body surfaces of cockroaches collected from all the sample areas. 25

8 Microbial load of fungi harbored on the external body surfaces of cockroaches collected from all the sample areas. 26

9 Number of parasites harbored by cockroaches collected from the sample areas. 27

10 Range of Total viable counts of bacterial and fungal organisms from cockroaches obtained from different sites. 28

11 Antibiotic susceptibility of the bacterial isolates obtained from Toilet and residential/hostel areas. 29

12 Antibiotic susceptibility of the bacterial isolates obtained from Health facilities. 30