Cockroaches & Asthma

There has been recent news from the National Institutes of Health that cockroaches are a leading cause of asthma among  urban children.

It has been known for many years that cockroaches cause allergies, food poisoning, diarrhea, salmonella, gastroenteritis and other infections. This latest finding confirms that cockroaches pose a very serious health hazard and urban residents should take appropriate action to control America's No. 1 household pest.

The National Cooperative Inner City Asthma Study, a five-year, $17 million study sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has concluded that cockroaches are the leading cause of asthma among children in seven U. S. cities according to an Associated Press story. The study found that cockroach "antigens" are the most powerful of all possible asthma-provoking materials that children encounter in inner-city homes. An antigen is a substance that causes children to wheeze - the most common symptom of asthma.

In 1991, a team of researchers set out to identify the antigens in low-income children's asthma. They expected to find that dust mites and cats are the culprits because they are the leading causes of asthma in suburban areas. But after testing, 1,528 children under age 10 and visiting half of their homes, the researchers discovered that the leading antigen comes from droppings and carcasses produced by German cockroaches.

Asthma: Growing Problem
While asthma is a serious problem in urban areas, it is the most common chronic illness of childhood and appears to be increasing everywhere, even though outdoor and indoor air-quality levels have improved. The proportion of Americans who say they have asthma has risen 45 percent in the past decade. Some 12 million Americans - a third of them under age 18 - suffer from asthma.

Be sure to visit the EPA's web site for kids that talks about roaches and includes activities, tips, games, and more.

Source: The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol. 97, No.6 - June 1996