Assessment of the Role of Cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) as Carriers of Medically Important Parasites and Microorganisms in College of Agriculture, Lafia, Students Hostels, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Cockroaches are found in human dwellings. They are distributed worldwide. They play an important role in transmitting diseases either mechanically and occasionally biologically. Numerous bacteria and parasites of medical importance have been isolated from cockroaches. This research was therefore designed to identify parasites and to isolate microorganisms of medical importance from external surfaces and gastrointestinal tract of cockroaches collected from different parts of student hostels of College of Agriculture, Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A total of 170 cockroaches were trapped and collected from different location of the male and female hostels in the College and were examined using standard parasitological and microbial techniques. Normal saline was used in the Original Research Article