title: Cockroaches as carriers of fungi of medical importance.
abstract: The fungal pathogenic flora of the external surface of 103 cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) collected from the intensive care unit of a hospital were investigated. In this study, a high percentage of test cockroaches (93.2%) were found to carry fungi of medical importance. The main fungi isolated were species of Candida, Aspergillus and Penicillium. Information about the carriage of pathogenic fungi by cockroaches in hospital environment is scanty. The results suggest that cockroaches can play a role in dissemination of fungi, which they can carry on their external surface.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública da UFG, Goiania, Goias, Brazil.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Prado
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Pimenta
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gir
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: M R R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001938:Brazil; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000635:transmission; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D009181:Mycoses / Q000635:transmission; D010407:Penicillium; D010526:Periplaneta / Q000382:microbiology*