Short report
Hospital infestations by the moth fly, Clogmia albipunctata (Diptera: Psychodinae), in Germany

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2012.04.006Get rights and content

Summary

The moth fly Clogmia albipunctata, formerly a Mediterranean species, is now present in Germany, at latitudes exceeding 53°N. Its synanthropic behaviour allows frequent, year-round infestations in hospital buildings. Hospital infestations have been most common in shower and rest rooms in patient wards, followed by cellar storage rooms, and then rest and shower rooms in hospital kitchens. Preferred breeding sites included hair-clogged sinks in patient shower cubicles, infrequently used toilets and urinals as well as water sources stemming from neglected leaking pipes, suggesting that enhanced hospital water and pest management are necessary for control.

Introduction

The worldwide distribution of the moth fly, Clogmia albipunctata (Enderlein 1937), has been reported as being between latitudes 40°S and 42°N.1 In Germany, this species has been described only once, in a domestic waste treatment facility close to Berlin in 1993.2 More recent reports have recorded the spread of C. albipunctata into The Netherlands and Belgium, where it caused an infestation in a psychiatric ward of a hospital in Brussels.3, 4 The presence of continuous insect infestations of hospitals poses a potential health threat because of their possible role in the transmission of nosocomial infections.5, 6 C. albipunctata has been reported to harbour Nocardia sp. in a university hospital in Brazil, and to cause intestinal and nasopharyngeal myiasis in man.7, 8 The aim of this study was to investigate the current geographical distribution of moth fly species including C. albipunctata in Germany, and the infestation frequency and population density in German hospitals.

Section snippets

Methods

Entomological samples of moth flies from indoor infestations in hospitals and health facilities sent to our institute since 1997, and stored in the voucher strain type collection, were analysed retrospectively.

A presentation on moth flies was given to healthcare infection prevention and control professionals at the 9th Ulm Symposium on Hospital Infection, April 2011. A questionnaire, containing detailed information and pictures of moth flies, was distributed among attendees.

Attendees were

Results

Larval and adult moth flies were caught, and putative breeding sites were identified in ten hospitals or healthcare facilities located in Aachen, Berlin, Bonn, Hamburg, Hannover, Koblenz–Neuwied, Leipzig, Munich, Ulm, and Warendorf (Table I). The investigators were allowed to investigate personally and to collect further specimens for entomological identification.

With the exception of one infestation of Psychoda grisescens Tonnoir, and one co-infestation with few Panimerus albifacies Tonnoir,

Discussion

In Germany, the geographical distribution of C. albipunctata is more widespread, and infestation potential for hospitals is much higher than previously reported or expected. Besides being transported over long distances by man, e.g. with waste products, this species can survive and spread outdoors during the temperate seasons while continuously breeding in buildings during the winter months. Additionally, habitat requirements and infestation potential of central European populations may have

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Mrs A. Crecelius and Mr D. Hiller for technical laboratory support. We are also grateful to Dr J. Scharninghausen for kindly reviewing and commenting on this manuscript. This manuscript represents, in part, the thesis of Mr M. Spiesberger.

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