A Systematic Review of Zoonotic Enteric Parasites Carried by Flies, Cockroaches, and Dung Beetles

Abstract

Filth flies, cockroaches, and dung beetles have been close neighbors with humans and animals throughout our joint histories. However, these insects can also serve as vectors for many zoonotic enteric parasites (ZEPs). Zoonoses by ZEPs remain a paramount public health threat due to our close contact with animals, combined with poor water, sanitation, and hygiene access, services, and behaviors in many global regions. Our objective in this systematic review was to determine which ZEPs have been documented in these vectors, to identify risk factors associated with their transmission, and to provide effectual One Health recommendations for curbing their spread. Using PRISMA guidelines, a total of 85 articles published from 1926 to 2021 were reviewed and included in this study. Qualitative analysis revealed that the most common parasites associated with these insects included, but were not limited to: Ascaris spp., Trichuris spp., Entamoeba spp., and Cryptosporidium spp. Additionally, prominent risk factors discovered in the review, such as poor household and community WASH services, unsafe food handling, and exposure to domestic animals and wildlife, significantly increase parasitic transmission and zoonoses. The risk of insect vector transmission in our shared environments makes it critically important to implement a One Health approach in reducing ZEP transmission.

Direct and indirect phenotypic effects on sociability indicate potential to evolve

“…This is a communally living species who form aggregations in refuges to access resources, avoid predators such as ants, and to buffer environmental perturbations (Grandcolas, 1998) – hence their sociability is an important trait for their survival and fitness. Further, cockroach species are often sources of zoonoses (Zarchi & Vatani, 2009; Patel et al ., 2022), and so a better understanding of the evolution of their aggregation formation could inform how the disease risk to humans they pose changes in the future under selection pressures such as changing climates and different management strategies. I measured sociability in dyadic trials and validated this assay in a group context using social networks of up to 24 individuals.…”

Direct and indirect phenotypic effects on sociability indicate potential to evolve

“…This is a communally living species who form aggregations in refuges to access | 211 FISHER resources, avoid predators such as ants, and to buffer environmental perturbations (Grandcolas, 1998)-hence their sociability is an important trait for their survival and fitness. Furthermore, cockroach species are often sources of zoonoses (Patel et al, 2022;Zarchi & Vatani, 2009), and so a better understanding of the evolution of their aggregation formation could inform how the disease risk to humans they pose changes in the future under selection pressures such as changing climates and different management strategies. I measured sociability in dyadic trials and validated this assay in a group context using social networks of up to 24 individuals.…”

Clean and healthy living behavior of Baubau city: A geographic information system approach

“…However, these insects can also serve as vectors for many zoonotic enteric parasites (ZEPs). The risk of transmitting insect vectors in our shared environment makes it very important to adopt a One Health approach to reducing the transmission of ZEP (9). Cockroaches and flies that land on dirty latrines and then land on food are very at risk of carrying harmful parasites into food which is ultimately consumed by humans and can cause disease.…”