Cockroaches are abundant in Nigeria and are seen to harbour an array of pathogens. Environmental and sanitary conditions associated with demographic/socio-economic settings of an area could contribute to the prevalence of disease pathogens in cockroaches. A total of 246 cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) in urban (Benin, n=91), semi-urban (Ekpoma, n=75) and rural (Emuhi, n=70) settings in Edo State, Nigeria were collected within and around households. The external body surfaces and alimentary canal of these cockroaches were screened for bacterial, fungal, and parasitological infections. Bacillus sp. and Escherichia coli were the most common bacteria in cockroaches. However, Enterococcus faecalis could not be isolated in cockroaches trapped from Ekpoma and Emuhi. Aspergillus niger was the most prevalent fungus in Benin and Ekpoma, while Mucor sp. was predominant in Emuhi. Parasitological investigations revealed the preponderance of Ascaris lumbricoides in Benin and Emuhi, while Trichuris trichura was the most predominant in Ekpoma. The prevalence and burden of infection in cockroaches is likely to be a reflection of the sanitary conditions of these areas. Also, cockroaches in these areas making incursions in homes may increase the risk of human infections with these disease agents.
Animals ; Ascaris lumbricoides/isolation & purification ; Aspergillus niger/isolation & purification ; Bacillus/isolation & purification ; Cockroaches/*microbiology/*parasitology ; Escherichia coli/isolation & purification ; Nigeria ; Sanitation ; Trichuris/isolation & purification

The present study investigated characteristics of 24 parasite infection cases detected during colonoscopy in a regional hospital from January 2001 to December 2008. Sixteen patients were confirmed with Trichuris trichiura infection, 6 patients were with Ascaris lumbricoides infection, 1 patient with Enterobius vermicularis infection, and 1 patient with Anisakis infection. Among them, 7 patients (43.8%) were asymptomatic. Colonoscopy findings were normal in 18 patients (75.0%). Among the patients with T. trichiura infection, colonoscopy showed several erosions in 2 patients (8.3%) and non-specific inflammation of the affected segment of the colon in 3 patients (12.5%). In 1 patient with anisakiasis, colonoscopy revealed a markedly swollen colonic wall. Stool examinations were performed before treatment in 7 patients (29.2%) and were all negative for parasite eggs or worms. These results suggest that colonoscopy is a useful diagnostic approach for parasitic infections even for asymptomatic patients and for patients with negative stool examinations.
Adult ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Anisakis/isolation & purification ; Ascaris lumbricoides/isolation & purification ; *Colonoscopy ; Enterobius/isolation & purification ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Helminthiasis/*diagnosis/*epidemiology/pathology ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/*diagnosis/*epidemiology/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea ; Trichuris/isolation & purification ; Young Adult

We attempted to identify parasite DNA in the biliary stones of humans via PCR and DNA sequencing. Genomic DNA was isolated from each of 15 common bile duct (CBD) stones and 5 gallbladder (GB) stones. The patients who had the CBD stones suffered from cholangitis, and the patients with GB stones showed acute cholecystitis, respectively. The 28S and 18S rDNA genes were amplified successfully from 3 and/or 1 common bile duct stone samples, and then cloned and sequenced. The 28S and 18S rDNA sequences were highly conserved among isolates. Identity of the obtained 28S D1 rDNA with that of Clonorchis sinensis was higher than 97.6%, and identity of the 18S rDNA with that of other Ascarididae was 97.9%. Almost no intra-specific variations were detected in the 28S and 18S rDNA with the exception of a few nucleotide variations, i.e., substitution and deletion. These findings suggest that C. sinensis and Ascaris lumbricoides may be related with the biliary stone formation and development.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Ascaridida/genetics/isolation & purification ; Ascaris lumbricoides/genetics/isolation & purification ; Base Sequence ; Clonorchis sinensis/genetics/isolation & purification ; Common Bile Duct/*parasitology ; DNA, Helminth/*genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal/genetics ; Face/parasitology ; Female ; Gallbladder/parasitology ; Gallstones/*parasitology ; Helminths/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/*methods ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/genetics ; Sequence Alignment