Multiple-antibiotic-resistant bacteria from cockroaches trapped from a public hospital and a nearby students’ hostel in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

The ability of cockroaches, found in and around hospital settings, to harbour multiple-antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses serious health implications. This study investigated and compared multiple-antibiotic-resistant bacteria carried by cockroaches from a hospital environment. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns of isolated pathogenic bacteria on the internal and external surfaces of trapped cockroaches showed that over 60% of the Gram negative enteric bacilli, >90% of the 23 Pseudomonas aeruginosa and all three Gram positive bacteria isolates were resistant to at least four of the antibiotics tested. Necessary control measures need to be taken against the infestation of such facilities by cockroaches.