SIERRA COMBS

Nevada State College
Mentor: Robin Cresiski

Periplaneta Americana, also known as the American Cockroach, is one of the most abundant types of cockroaches throughout the world. While it has long been known that cockroaches carry vast varieties of bacteria, there has not been sufficient research conducted to conclude what different bacteria are carried by cockroaches in the United States, nor whether or not they carry are bacteria pathogenic. Our research focus is to determine whether or not Periplaneta Americana have the ability to be a transmissible source of antibiotic resistant bacteria known for causing human infection and possibly death. Bacteria will be collected from local wild-caught roaches (predominantly from residential and commercial areas) within the greater Las Vegas area as well as roaches purchased from a biological supply company. Using these roaches, the data will be gathered via traditional methods of agar plating, streak plating, gram staining and Kirby-Bauer susceptibility testing to identify the bacteria and their antibiotic resistance. The analysis of the data will allow us to approximate the percentage of bacteria living on these cockroaches that are possibly resistant to antibiotics and pose a threat to human health.