Abundance and Diversity of Zoonotic Parasites in Periplaneta americana Cockroaches from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Campus Area

Abstract

Cockroaches are a paraphyletic group of insects belonging to the Blattodea family. A major factor contributing to the presence of cockroaches in an area is poor cleanliness and improper disposal of food waste. Periplaneta americana (the American cockroach) typically moves between breeding sites and contaminated food waste, serving as a potential vector for zoonotic parasites. These parasites pose a significant danger to humans by transmitting diseases from animals to people. This study aims to examine the abundance and diversity of zoonotic parasites in the gastrointestinal organs of P. americana cockroaches. Cockroaches were caught from selected indoor and outdoor areas at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi campus, Selangor. Parasites in the gastrointestinal organs of cockroaches were isolated and identified using microscopic analysis. A total of 102 cockroaches were caught which were identified as one species, Periplaneta americana. There are four families and five parasite species have been identified in the gastrointestinal tract of P. americana, namely Thelastomatidae (Leidynema appendiculatum and Hammerschmidtiella diesingi) which have the highest prevalence in P. Americana (84 %), followed by Balantiididae (Balantidium coli: 12 %), Onchocercidae (Wuchereria bancrofti: 2 %), and Sarcocystidae (Toxoplasma gondii: 2 %). Parasites such as Balantidium coli, W. bancrofti, and T. gondii identified in P. americana are zoonotic pathogens that can be transmitted from animals to humans. The Shannon index showed that outdoor areas had a higher diversity of zoonotic parasite species than cockroaches compared to indoor areas. Therefore, this study is important to understand the diversity of parasites in cockroaches and the potential risk of zoonotic disease transmission, as well as to raise awareness about keeping the environment clean among the communities.