Detection of Bacteria from the Faeces of Cockroaches Collected from Meat Stalls in Pasar Bogor

Abstract

Cockroaches are important mechanical vectors that can spread microorganisms in food-handling environments. Traditional meat markets often have poor sanitation, increasing the risk of bacterial contamination. This study aimed to identify bacteria present in cockroach faeces collected from meat stalls in Pasar Bogor using molecular methods. Cockroaches were collected, and kept for obtaining faecal samples, and bacterial DNA was analysed through partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Sequence identification was performed using NCBI BLAST, and phylogenetic analysis was conducted with the Neighbour-Joining method in MEGA X. Four out of 16 sample pools were positive for bacteria, namely samples 13 through 16, with samples 15 and 16 being closely related to Psychrobacter spp, sample 13 being similar to an uncultured bacterium clone and sample 14 being related to Halomonas sp.. Phylogenetic analysis of sample 15 and 16 confirmed their clustering within the Psychrobacter clade with moderate to strong bootstrap support. These findings suggest environmental contamination in meat stall settings and highlight the potential role of cockroaches in bacterial dissemination, emphasizing the need for improved hygiene and pest control measures.