The medical importance of cockroaches

Baumholtz, Michael A.; Parish, Lawrence Charles; Witkowski, Joseph A.; Nutting, William B.

doi:10.1046/j.1365-4362.1997.00077.x

Cited by 59 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 11 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The range of microbes that A. compressa larvae may encounter during their development in their hosts is unpredictable and may encompass all different kinds of microbes, such as various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, mycobacteria, viruses, yeasts, and filamentous fungi (8,9,11,12,14,40). An effective strategy to gain a reliable and enduring protection against a broad spectrum of microbes may therefore be the application of large amounts of a mixture of several relatively unspecific antimicrobial compounds (41,42).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular, cockroaches, such as the peridomestic American cockroach Periplaneta americana (Blattaria, Blattidae), are suspected vectors of food spoilage and pathogenic microbes (6,7). Owing to their unsanitary lifestyle, they can pick up, carry, and transfer a plethora of bacteria and fungi (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14) and hence represent a potential health problem to humans, as well as wild and domestic animals.…”

Section: γ-Lactones and Isocoumarins With (R)-(-)-mellein [(R)-(-)-3mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Larvae of the parasitoid wasp Ampulex compressa sanitize their host, the American cockroach, with a blend of antimicrobials

Herzner

Schlecht

Dollhofer

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Food resources contaminated with spoilage or pathogenic microorganisms pose severe problems to all higher organisms. Here, we describe a food-hygienic strategy of the emerald cockroach wasp Ampulex compressa . The wasp larvae develop on and inside the American cockroach Periplaneta americana , a host that can harbor various putrefactive microbes, as well as human and insect pathogens. From P. americana , we isolated the Gram-negative bacterium Serratia marcescens , which is a potent entomopathogen that can rapidly kill insect larvae. It is also known as a food contaminant and as an opportunistic human pathogen. Using behavioral observations and chemical analyses, we demonstrated that A. compressa larvae impregnate their cockroach hosts from inside with large amounts of an oral secretion containing a blend of γ-lactones and isocoumarins with ( R )-(-)-mellein [( R )-(-)-3,4-diydro-8-hydroxy-3-methylisocoumarin] and micromolide [(4 R ,9 Z )-octadec-9-en-4-olide] as dominant components. We fractionated hexane extracts of the secretion and investigated the antimicrobial properties of the fraction containing the lactones and isocoumarins, as well as of synthetic ( R )-(-)-mellein and micromolide, against S. marcescens and a Gram-positive bacterium, Staphylococcus hyicus , in broth microdilution assays. The test fraction inhibited growth of both tested bacteria. The activity of the fraction against S. marcescens was explained by ( R )-(-)-mellein alone, and the activity against S. hyicus was explained by the combined action of ( R )-(-)-mellein and micromolide. Our data suggest that the specific combination of antimicrobials in the larval secretion provides an effective frontline defense against the unpredictable spectrum of microbes that A. compressa larvae may encounter during their development inside their cockroach hosts.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: γ-Lactones and Isocoumarins With (R)-(-)-mellein [(R)-(-)-3mentioning

confidence: 99%

Larvae of the parasitoid wasp Ampulex compressa sanitize their host, the American cockroach, with a blend of antimicrobials

Herzner

Schlecht

Dollhofer

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Con estos insectos blatodeos se asocian una gran variedad de organismos patógenos para el hombre que engloban bacterias, virus, hongos, protozoos y helmintos 22 . Entre ellos los más estudiados son, sin duda, las bacterias, habiéndose diagnosticado la presencia vinculada a cucarachas de decenas de especies entre las que podemos encontrar Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium leprae, o Salmonella typhi 23 .…”

Section: Artrópodos Y Saludunclassified

Artrópodos con interés vectorial en la salud pública en España

Marí¹,

Marí²,

Moscardó³

et al. 2009

Rev. Esp. Salud Publica

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Quince de las treinta y una Enfermedades de Declaración Obligatoria en España, exceptuando las de tipo congénito o neonatal, pueden ser transmitidas por diversas especies de artrópodos que están presentes en nuestro país. Decenas de bacterias, hongos, virus y protozoos tienen en diversos órdenes de artrópodos a sus agentes transmisores ideales. Este hecho hace que sea necesario conocer su biología para poder adoptar medidas de control que sean eficaces y nos permitan disminuir la incidencia de estas enfermedades. Sin embargo, los estudios epidemiológicos, lejos de quedar únicamente restringidos a las enfermedades que presentan ciclos activos de transmisión en nuestro país, deben adquirir una visión más global, en la que se incluyan también enfermedades alóctonas pero con una elevada probabilidad de que se transmitan a nuestro territorio en el contexto de globalización en el que nos hallamos. De este modo se conseguirá conocer qué factores impiden su presencia actual y dotar a la Red Nacional de Vigilancia Epidemioló-gica de una capacidad predictiva que permita pronosticar la posible llegada de la enfermedad, fortaleciendo a fin de cuentas la Salud Pública española. El objetivo del presente trabajo es llevar a cabo una revisión de la artropodofauna de interés vectorial en España. Se discute la situación actual en nuestro país de algunas de las enfermedades más importantes con transmisión vectorial, así como los factores que pueden determinar su aparición, resurgencia y/o recrudecimiento. El estudio de estos agentes en nuestra Salud Pública resulta imprescindible como un elemento más articulado en la compleja red que toda enfermedad de tipo vectorial conlleva.Palabras clave: Artrópodos. Salud Pública. Epidemiología. España. Vector. Alergia e inmunología. Entomología. ABSTRACT Arthropods With Vectorial Interest in Spanish Public HealthFifteen of the thirty-one Obligatory Communicable Diseases in Spain, exempting those of congenital or neonatal types, can be transmitted by several species of arthropods that are present in our country. Several arthropod orders are the suitable transmitters of tens of bacteria, fungi, virus and protozoa. This fact demands a through of the biology knowledge of these vectors in order to adopt efficient control measures that allow us to reduce the incidence levels of these diseases. Nevertheless, the epidemiological studies shouldn't remain only restricted to the diseases with active transmission cycles in our country. It is necessary to acquire a global vision because of allochton diseases that are perfectly extensible to our territory in the globalization context in which we are situated. All this information is important to know which factors are preventing the disease presence. The aim is to provide the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network with a valuable predictive capacity that allows it to predict the potential arrival of diseases and the consequent strengthening of the spanish Public Health. The goal of this work is to carry out a review of the spanish arthropod fauna wi...

show abstract

“…These insects reach larger populations in urban environments and they act as vectors of viruses (BAUMHOLTZ et al, 1997), bacteria (RIVAULT et al, 1993;PRADO et al, 2002), fungi (PRADO et al, 2002), protozoa (BAUMHOLTZ et al, 1997;PAI et al, 2003), and helminths (BAUMHOLTZ et al, 1997;THYSSEN et al, 2004), causing major problems to the health of human beings and other animals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survival and weight change among adult individuals of Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus, 1758) (Blattaria, Blattidae) subject to various stress conditions

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Submetido em 30/11/2014 Aceito para publicação em 12/03/2015Resumo Sobrevivência e variação de peso de adultos de Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus, 1758) (Blattaria, Blattidae) submetidos a diferentes condições de estresse. Periplaneta americana é uma espécie de grande importância para a saúde pública, já que pode atuar como vetor de diversos patógenos e atinge altas populações em ambientes urbanos. Isso provavelmente se deve à sua capacidade de resistir à fome e a dessecação. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os efeitos da ausência de água e alimento sobre a sobrevivência e variação de peso entre adultos de P. americana e veriicar se o peso inicial dos indivíduos inluencia em sua sobrevivência. Quatro grupos com 20 casais de P. americana foram formados e submetidos a: I) estresse hídrico e alimentar; II) estresse alimentar; III) estresse hídrico; e IV) grupo controle. Os insetos foram individualizados conforme os grupos, os quais foram pesados no início e no im das condições de estresse. Permaneceram sob essas condições até que todos os indivíduos de cada grupo de teste estivessem mortos. As condições de estresse causaram redução do tempo de sobrevivência quando comparados ao grupo controle. Adultos com massa corporal superior sobreviveram por mais tempo quando privados somente de alimento, enquanto que naqueles com ausência de água o peso não inluenciou na sobrevivência. A perda total de peso foi maior nos indivíduos privados de água do que naqueles privados somente de alimento. Palavras-chave:Barata; Desidratação; Inanição; Longevidade; Peso corporal AbstractPeriplaneta americana is a species of great importance to public health, since it can act as a vector of many pathogens and it reaches large populations in urban environments. This is probably due to its ability to resist starvation and desiccation. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of absence of water and food on survival and weight change among adult P. americana individuals and check whether the initial weight of individuals inluences on their survival. Four groups having twenty P. americana couples were formed and subject to: I) no water or food; II) no food; III) no water; and IV) control group. Insects were isolated according to the groups, which were weighed at the beginning and end of the stress conditions. They remained under these conditions until all individuals in each test group were dead. Stress conditions caused reduction in survival time when compared to the control group. Adults with higher body mass survived longer when deprived only of food, while among those lacking water, weight had no inluence on survival. Total weight loss was greater among individuals deprived of water than those deprived only of food.

show abstract

The medical importance of cockroaches

Cited by 59 publications

References 11 publications

Larvae of the parasitoid wasp Ampulex compressa sanitize their host, the American cockroach, with a blend of antimicrobials

Larvae of the parasitoid wasp Ampulex compressa sanitize their host, the American cockroach, with a blend of antimicrobials

Artrópodos con interés vectorial en la salud pública en España

Survival and weight change among adult individuals of Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus, 1758) (Blattaria, Blattidae) subject to various stress conditions

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About