Assessment of surface-associated bacterial contamination in Blatta orientalis from infested pig farms in Bulgaria.

BACKGROUND

Cockroaches are widely recognized as significant carriers of various infectious and parasitic diseases that affect both animals and humans. They are more than just common pests; they are among the most medically important insects due to their frequent presence in human environments. Understanding the role of cockroaches in disease transmission is crucial, and implementing effective pest control measures is essential.

AIM: This study focuses on identifying bacterial contaminants present on the surfaces of Oriental cockroaches (Blatta orientalis) collected from pig farms.

METHODS

A total of 350 Oriental cockroaches collected from four field populations were examined in this study. Using the Vitek 2 Compact system, a modern platform for rapid and automated phenotypic identification, several bacterial species were isolated.

RESULTS

A total of nine bacterial taxa were identified, with Escherichia coli being the predominant species (65.7% of pooled samples), followed by Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Enterobacter spp., and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Other less frequent isolates included Pseudomonas spp., Enterococcus spp., Serratia marcescens, and Proteus mirabilis.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate that B. orientalis from pig farms harbors diverse bacterial contaminants of sanitary and veterinary concern, underlining the need for strict biosecurity and pest control measures to minimize the risk of disease transmission.