Are cockroaches carriers of fungi that cause nosocomial infections?
Opportunistic fungal infections target high-risk patients, including immunocompromised hosts, critically-ill cases, and debilitated surgical patients. While Candida and Aspergillus are the most common causes of invasive fungal infections, the virtual spectrum of fungi causing these infections appears to be very wide. Due primarily to the high mortality rates of nosocomial fungal infections, understanding the mechanisms of transmission of these pathogens and development of preventive strategies are of special significance. Air, medical instrumentations, and hands of hospital staff have been identified as the major sources of nosocomial fungal infections. Vectors, such as rodents and insects, on the other hand, may play role as carriers for fungi. Among these, cockroaches are of particular concern, since they can be found everywhere in the hospital environment. The fungal flora on the external surface of 103 cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) has been explored in an interesting study fr
