Wall gecko potential threat to human health and domestic animals ?

Diagram of a typical wall gecko. 

Wall geckos also known as "omonile" in Yoruba land.  Little has been done to see that wall geckos are eradicated from our homes and environments maybe as the name implies in Yoruba land "omonile" i.e they are the owner of the house.

Geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world especially within human habitation where they feed on insects, worms and spiders. They are nocturnal animals i.e. they are active at night and they are great climbers. They are mainly found in the ceiling, back of calendars during the day time but active at nights.  Parasitism remains a neglected aspect of reptiles biology hence little is known about the parasites that infect geckos which could be detrimental to human health. Geckos are likely zoonotic pathway to human health, though they may look friendly in habits, but are quiet killers in transmission of pathogens. Thus, they represent a substantial risk to human health and domestic animals.  Research as shown that geckos are potential carriers of endoparasites and ectoparasites  (helminthes). Also, geckos are linked with Salmonella. Ectoparasites such as  ticks - soft and hard, and mites. It is therefore likely that soft ticks of gecko may feed on man and livestock and by the virtue of their blood feeding habit also transmit diseases of the gecko to man or domestic animals.  The co-habitation of this reptile with man and livestock in a common domestic abode may therefore easily enhance the developmental or parasitic life-cycle of the gecko ectoparasites. Endoparasites like nematodes and cestodes are also found to be parasties of geckos which could develop in domestic mammals. 

The geckos being found in human habitation shows that man can be infected through contaminated food and water by faeces and saliva of the reptile or accidentally ingesting the egg.

Wall gecko looks harmless but they are potential threat to the health of man and domestic animals.

Health is Wealth