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Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Tribute to the author, Norman Gratz
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- Part I The vector- and rodent-borne diseases of Europe
- Part II The vector- and rodent-borne diseases of North America
- 20 Vector- and rodent borne diseases in the history of the USA and Canada
- 21 The mosquito-borne arboviruses
- 22 Mosquito-borne diseases – malaria
- 23 Mosquito-borne filarial infections
- 24 Sandfly-borne diseases
- 25 Ceratopogonidae -- biting midge-borne diseases
- 26 Dipteran caused infections -- myiasis
- 27 Flea-borne diseases
- 28 The louse-borne diseases
- 29 Triatomine-borne diseases
- 30 Tick-borne diseases of the USA and Canada
- 31 Mite-borne infections and infestations
- 32 Cockroaches and allergies
- 33 Factors augmenting the incidence, prevalence and distribution of vector-borne diseases in the USA and Canada
- 34 The rodent-borne diseases of the USA and Canada
- 35 The economic impact of vector- and rodent-borne diseases in the USA and Canada
- 36 Conclusions on the burden of the vector and rodent-borne diseases in Europe, the USA and Canada
- References
- Index
32 - Cockroaches and allergies
from Part II - The vector- and rodent-borne diseases of North America
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 January 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Tribute to the author, Norman Gratz
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- Part I The vector- and rodent-borne diseases of Europe
- Part II The vector- and rodent-borne diseases of North America
- 20 Vector- and rodent borne diseases in the history of the USA and Canada
- 21 The mosquito-borne arboviruses
- 22 Mosquito-borne diseases – malaria
- 23 Mosquito-borne filarial infections
- 24 Sandfly-borne diseases
- 25 Ceratopogonidae -- biting midge-borne diseases
- 26 Dipteran caused infections -- myiasis
- 27 Flea-borne diseases
- 28 The louse-borne diseases
- 29 Triatomine-borne diseases
- 30 Tick-borne diseases of the USA and Canada
- 31 Mite-borne infections and infestations
- 32 Cockroaches and allergies
- 33 Factors augmenting the incidence, prevalence and distribution of vector-borne diseases in the USA and Canada
- 34 The rodent-borne diseases of the USA and Canada
- 35 The economic impact of vector- and rodent-borne diseases in the USA and Canada
- 36 Conclusions on the burden of the vector and rodent-borne diseases in Europe, the USA and Canada
- References
- Index
Summary
Along with house dust mites, allergies due to cockroach allergens are also a serious problem in the USA and Canada. Kang & Sulit (1978) carried out allergy skin tests in Illinois with cockroach antigen along with various common inhalant allergens on 222 atopic and on 63 non-atopic subjects. The most prevalent allergen producing a positive skin test was house dust mite antigen with a positive response of 72%, 78% and 57% in atopic adults, atopic children and non-atopic children, respectively. The next prevalent positive skin test was to cockroach antigen with 50%, 60% and 27%, respectively, of the three groups tested. Incidence of cockroach hypersensitivity was 58% among asthmatic adults and 69% among asthmatic children. The results indicate that cockroach hypersensitivity is very prevalent and that cockroach antigen is an independent agent from house dust mites as a cause of immediate hypersensitivity reaction.
A number of studies have established that cockroaches are an important and independent risk factor for allergic asthma, particularly among urban, inner city, Afro-American or Hispanic populations in the USA. The frequency of allergy to cockroaches in asthmatic patients of these populations is around 50% and is related to indoor exposure to cockroach allergens (Rosenstreich et al., 1997). Sarpong et al. (1996) observed that because cockroach populations are highest in crowded urban areas, it has been suggested that the increased asthma morbidity and mortality rates in inner cities could be related in part to cockroach allergen exposure; they examined cockroach allergen exposure in the homes of children with asthma in both urban and suburban locations and related the rates of exposure and sensitization to socioeconomic, racial and demographic factors.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Vector- and Rodent-Borne Diseases in Europe and North AmericaDistribution, Public Health Burden, and Control, pp. 267 - 268Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2006