Monitoring of Pathogens Carried by Imported Flies and Cockroaches at Shenzhen Ports

This study tested the efficacy of xenomonitoring using contaminated flies and cockroaches at ports in Shenzhen by analysing sample data from imported flies and cockroaches from October 2023 to April 2024 to identify the pathogens they carried. Among all the samples of flies and cockroaches collected...

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Main Authors: Siqi Zhang, Chunzhong Zhao, Guoping Liu, Liwei Guo, Ran Zhang, Junyu Yan, Jianan He, Cheng Guo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/10/2/57
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author Siqi Zhang
Chunzhong Zhao
Guoping Liu
Liwei Guo
Ran Zhang
Junyu Yan
Jianan He
Cheng Guo
author_facet Siqi Zhang
Chunzhong Zhao
Guoping Liu
Liwei Guo
Ran Zhang
Junyu Yan
Jianan He
Cheng Guo
author_sort Siqi Zhang
collection DOAJ
description This study tested the efficacy of xenomonitoring using contaminated flies and cockroaches at ports in Shenzhen by analysing sample data from imported flies and cockroaches from October 2023 to April 2024 to identify the pathogens they carried. Among all the samples of flies and cockroaches collected, <i>Musca domestica vicina</i> and <i>Blattella germanica</i> accounted for the highest proportion, 27.59% and 66.47%, respectively. Their positive rates for carrying <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> were also the most significant, reaching 4.35% and 6.47%, respectively. The imported flies and cockroaches mainly came from Asia, with the highest proportion coming from Hong Kong, at 97.71% and 92.11%, respectively. Metagenomic sequencing indicated that the pathogens carried by the flies and cockroaches from different regions of Asia were generally similar but showed some differences. Flies from Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and West Asia and cockroaches from Southeast Asia, East Asia, and West Asia harboured unique opportunistic pathogens capable of causing gastrointestinal and respiratory infections in humans. Specifically, flies carried pathogens such as <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i>, <i>Bacillus anthracis</i>, <i>Bacteroides fragilis</i>, and <i>Bordetella bronchiseptica</i>, while cockroaches carried <i>B. fragilis</i>, <i>Clostridium tetani</i>, and <i>Bacillus cereus</i>. Our findings provide data support for future risk assessments of pathogens carried by imported vectors.
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publishDate 2025-02-01
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spelling doaj-art-14e6626c99c042e3a32c07aa7d31bdfa2025-08-20T02:01:24ZengMDPI AGTropical Medicine and Infectious Disease2414-63662025-02-011025710.3390/tropicalmed10020057Monitoring of Pathogens Carried by Imported Flies and Cockroaches at Shenzhen PortsSiqi Zhang0Chunzhong Zhao1Guoping Liu2Liwei Guo3Ran Zhang4Junyu Yan5Jianan He6Cheng Guo7College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, ChinaShenzhen Customs District Port Outpatient Clinics, Shenzhen International Travel Health Care Center, Shenzhen 518000, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, ChinaShenzhen Customs District Port Outpatient Clinics, Shenzhen International Travel Health Care Center, Shenzhen 518000, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, ChinaShenzhen Customs District Port Outpatient Clinics, Shenzhen International Travel Health Care Center, Shenzhen 518000, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, ChinaThis study tested the efficacy of xenomonitoring using contaminated flies and cockroaches at ports in Shenzhen by analysing sample data from imported flies and cockroaches from October 2023 to April 2024 to identify the pathogens they carried. Among all the samples of flies and cockroaches collected, <i>Musca domestica vicina</i> and <i>Blattella germanica</i> accounted for the highest proportion, 27.59% and 66.47%, respectively. Their positive rates for carrying <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> were also the most significant, reaching 4.35% and 6.47%, respectively. The imported flies and cockroaches mainly came from Asia, with the highest proportion coming from Hong Kong, at 97.71% and 92.11%, respectively. Metagenomic sequencing indicated that the pathogens carried by the flies and cockroaches from different regions of Asia were generally similar but showed some differences. Flies from Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and West Asia and cockroaches from Southeast Asia, East Asia, and West Asia harboured unique opportunistic pathogens capable of causing gastrointestinal and respiratory infections in humans. Specifically, flies carried pathogens such as <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i>, <i>Bacillus anthracis</i>, <i>Bacteroides fragilis</i>, and <i>Bordetella bronchiseptica</i>, while cockroaches carried <i>B. fragilis</i>, <i>Clostridium tetani</i>, and <i>Bacillus cereus</i>. Our findings provide data support for future risk assessments of pathogens carried by imported vectors.https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/10/2/57vectorsmetagenomic sequencingenteric pathogensrespiratory pathogensmechanical carriage
spellingShingle Siqi Zhang
Chunzhong Zhao
Guoping Liu
Liwei Guo
Ran Zhang
Junyu Yan
Jianan He
Cheng Guo
Monitoring of Pathogens Carried by Imported Flies and Cockroaches at Shenzhen Ports
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
vectors
metagenomic sequencing
enteric pathogens
respiratory pathogens
mechanical carriage
title Monitoring of Pathogens Carried by Imported Flies and Cockroaches at Shenzhen Ports
title_full Monitoring of Pathogens Carried by Imported Flies and Cockroaches at Shenzhen Ports
title_fullStr Monitoring of Pathogens Carried by Imported Flies and Cockroaches at Shenzhen Ports
title_full_unstemmed Monitoring of Pathogens Carried by Imported Flies and Cockroaches at Shenzhen Ports
title_short Monitoring of Pathogens Carried by Imported Flies and Cockroaches at Shenzhen Ports
title_sort monitoring of pathogens carried by imported flies and cockroaches at shenzhen ports
topic vectors
metagenomic sequencing
enteric pathogens
respiratory pathogens
mechanical carriage
url https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/10/2/57
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