Rapid screening and characterization of bacteria associated with hospital cockroaches ( Blattella germanica L.) using MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry

Abstract

Aims The study aimed to explore the diversity of culturable microbiota colonizing the alimentary tract and outer surfaces of German cockroaches (Blattella germanica) captured in a health care facility. Methods and Results Microbial identification was conducted using Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption–Ionization Time‐of‐Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF MS) Biotyper and 16S rRNA sequencing. A total of 181 bacteria strains were isolated from 25 cockroach specimens and the MALDI‐TOF MS‐based assay yielded direct identification of 96·5% (175 out of 181) of the strains at the species level. The proteomic fingerprinting mainly revealed strains belonged to Gram‐negative Enterobacteria (103) with six different genera that were characterized including Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Kluyevera, Leclercia, Morganella and Serratia. In addition, Pseudomonas sp. strains ranked in second with 29·8% (54 strains) followed by Staphylococcus sp. (6·62%) and Enterococcus sp. (1·65%). A large number of these bacteria (n = 90, 49·72%) was found in cockroaches captured in the maternity ward, whereas 45 strains (24·8%) were recovered in the paediatric ward. Altogether, 24 bacterial species were identified from both the external surface and digestive tract of the insect, of which Serratia marcescens presented the major group (n = 80, 44·19%) followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 53, 29·28%) and Klebsiella oxytoca (n = 9, 4·94%). Conclusion The findings showed a high prevalence of bacterial pathogens harboured in the body and alimentary tract of B. germanica captured in a health care facility. Significance and Impact of the Study This investigation shows the possible role of German cockroaches as a source for bacterial pathogens, increasing the likelihood of direct transmission of healthcare associated infections, and thereby representing a public health risk. In addition, the present study revealed a high discriminatory power of the mass spectra investigation and a competent bacterial typing tool that extends phenotypic and genotypic approaches, which allows new possibilities for fast and accurate diagnosis in medical entomology.

Wildlife and Antibiotic Resistance

“…Further, the detailed analysis of the microbiome and the resistome of Blattella germanica populations fed with added faeces to their diet showed the presence of mobile elements and ARGs in their metagenomes ( Domínguez-Santos et al., 2021 ). Furthermore, it has been described that those cockroaches captured in health care facilities present in their gut a high prevalence of the pathogens circulating in said facilities ( Mehainaoui et al., 2021 ). Other animals co-existing with humans, such as rats, flies or fleas, known to be involved in the transmission of life-threatening infectious diseases, might also contribute to the horizontal transfer of ARGs among different pathogens.…”

Technological properties and probiotic potential of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SJ14 isolated from Algerian traditional cheese “Jben”

“…Hence, the increase in interest in the use of biopreservatives in foods to control their growth (Mechai et al, 2014). The antagonistic effect of L. plantarum SJ14 showed a broad spectrum of activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, and Salmonella Typhi, including extendedspectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL), the most common responsible human pathogens (Mehainaoui et al, 2021). As far as it is known, antibacterial activity of bacteriocins from LAB against Gram-negative bacteria is an unusual phe- The obtained results (Table 2) indicated that the strain SJ14 is potential candidates for producing antifungal metabolites.…”

Characterization of cultivable intestinal microbiota in Rhynchophorus palmarum Linnaeus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and determination of its cellulolytic activity

“…Even though MALDI‐TOF/MS is fast, accurate, more accessible than molecular detection methods (Singhal et al, 2015), and widely used in studies to identify the microbiota of different arthropod species, such as bees (Kačániová et al, 2020; Praet et al, 2017), beetles (Perlatti et al, 2017; Wang & Rozen, 2017), cockroaches (Mehainaoui et al, 2021), and mosquitoes (Arruda et al, 2021; Barnard et al, 2019; Gonçalves et al, 2019; Tandina et al, 2016), it is worth mentioning that this approach may not be accurate enough for identifying nonclinical isolates, such as insect symbionts, since MALDI‐TOF databases are mainly focused on clinical specimens. The nonidentification of the 10 isolates abovementioned reflects this limitation of the technique, and additional tests, such as 16S‐ribosomal RNA sequencing, are required for more accurate detection of the cultivable microbiota of R. palmarum .…”