Alba Romero José de Jesús^1,2, Sánchez Manzano Rosa María³, Nogueda Torres Benjamín³, Chávez Barron Almendra Julieta¹ and Guillén Rangel Guadalupe Concepción¹*

¹Division of Graduate Studies and Research, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Gómez Palacio Campus, Juárez University of the State of Durango (UJED), Article 123 s/n, Filadelfia Subdivision, 35019 Gómez Palacio, Dgo, Mexico
²Specialized Clinical Laboratory Consultants, La Laguna, C. Juárez 142 ote, Colonia Centro, 35000 Gómez Palacio, Dgo, Mexico
³Helminthology Laboratory, National School of Biological Sciences, National Poly- technic Institute, Prolongación de Carpio y Plan de Ayala s/n, Col, Santo Tomás, C.P. 11340, Miguel Hidalgo Borough, Mexico City, Mexico

*Corresponding Author: Guillén Rangel Guadalupe Concepción, Division of Gradu- ate Studies and Research, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Gómez Palacio Campus, Juárez University of the State of Durango (UJED), Article 123 s/n, Filadelfia Subdivi- sion, 35019 Gómez Palacio, Dgo, Mexico.

Received: June 17, 2026; Published: July 23, 2026

Abstract

Mites were first described in human hair follicles in 1841 by Henle and Berger, and classified into two distinct species, folliculorum and brevis, in 1963. Demodex spp. mites are considered part of the normal skin microbiota and reside in the pilosebaceous unit. The hosts of Demodex spp. mites are mammals, with specific species for each animal, such as dogs (Demodex canis), cats (Demodex cati), and horses (Demodex equi), in addition to humans (Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis). Demodex conditions occur when there is excessive growth of these mites on the skin and can cause symptoms such as redness, itching, burning sensation, papules, pustules, scaling, or rough skin texture. They are associated with skin problems such as rosacea, blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids), folliculitis (inflammation of the hair follicles), and perioral dermatitis. Cockroach species (Periplaneta americana) were studied to search for parasites (mainly L. blattarum) and medically important bacteria. The cockroaches were dissected by removing the legs, thorax, and wings; only the abdominal cavity was analyzed. The results showed the presence of various parasites, including, for the first time in the abdominal cavity of cockroaches, mites of the genus Demodex spp. It was concluded that cockroaches are a host for Demodex spp mites and are a source of contamination and high risk to humans.

Keywords: Cockroach; Demodex; Mites; Skin Problems

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Citation

Citation: Guillén Rangel Guadalupe Concepción., et al. “Periplaneta americana as a Host for Demodex spp. First Report". Acta Scientific Microbiology 9.8 (2026): 28-32.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Guillén Rangel Guadalupe Concepción., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.