Allergy Warning From Hissing Cockroaches

[Guest guest]

On the off-chance that anyone has these as

pets.........Lynn

Allergy Warning From Hissing

CockroachesArticle 18 Mar 2008 - 4:00 PDT

 

Their gentle nature, large size, odd sounds and low-maintenance care have

made Madagascar hissing cockroaches popular educational tools and pets

for years. But the giant insects also have one unfortunate

characteristic: Their hard bodies and feces are home to many mold species

that could be triggering allergies in the kids and adults who handle the

bugs, according to a new study.

Researchers have identified 14 different types of mold on and around this

species of cockroach, including several molds associated with allergies

and others that can cause secondary infections if they enter the lungs or

an open wound.

" This is mainly a point of public awareness, " said Joshua

Benoit, lead author of the study and a doctoral candidate in entomology

at Ohio State University. " We are not criticizing their use. We are

just saying that if you handle these cockroaches, you should wash your

hands when you're done.

" It's also best to maintain the cage. It's not a pet you can

ignore, " he said. " Without regular cleaning, feces will build

up, and the old exoskeletons they shed will build up. And that's where a

lot of the problems happen. "

The research is published in the March issue of the journal

Mycoses.

The natural life of the Madagascar hissing cockroach, or Gromphadorhina

portentosa, is not well understood. But in captivity, the insects thrive

on dog food and fruit, reproduce plentifully and do not bite. They grow

to between 2 and 3 inches long and 1 inch wide, and will make their

characteristic hissing sound if they are squeezed or otherwise feel

threatened.

Benoit, an allergy sufferer himself, suspected the insects' large bodies

and moist living environments might combine to create a prime breeding

ground for mold.

Some people are allergic to the species of cockroaches that are household

pests. In those cases, the bugs' actual bodies contain allergens. In the

case of the Madagascar hissing cockroaches, the most potent mold

allergens live on and around the insects instead.

Benoit and colleagues examined the insects from an Ohio State-based

colony as well as those found in home collections, zoos, pet stores and

science classrooms across Ohio.

The research group tested the feces first, and, as expected, found mold

in the bugs' waste. Then the team examined the giant cockroaches

themselves, both outside and inside their bodies, to see what other

allergens might be present.

The most commonly found mold species found on the body surfaces of young

and adult Madagascar hissing cockroaches were Rhizopus, Penicillium,

Mucor, Trichoderma and Alternaria, several of which are listed by the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as common indoor molds.

Colonies of the mold species Aspergillus niger, a common contaminant of

food, were particularly plentiful in the feces and external shells that

had been discarded as the insects molted.

Few molds were found inside the cockroaches' bodies.

Molds are fungi that grow best in humid conditions, and spread and

reproduce by making spores. Benoit said all of the mold species found on

and around the hissing cockroaches are capable of producing huge

quantities of spores. And the spores themselves can get on bug handlers'

skin or be inhaled, triggering allergic responses in those sensitive to

the molds.

For people who are allergic to molds, exposure can cause symptoms such as

nasal stuffiness, itchy or burning eyes, wheezing or skin irritation,

according to the CDC. Some people with serious allergies to molds may

have more severe reactions.

Benoit now is pursuing additional studies on one surprise among the

findings: Symbiotic mites also live on the cockroaches, and help keep

them clean.

" The mites sweep the surface and remove old food particles and

debris, so they remove places on which fungi can grow, " Benoit said.

 

----------------------------

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press

release.

----------------------------

Benoit conducted the project with Jay Yoder and Brian Glenn of Wittenberg

University and Lawrence Zettler of Illinois College.

Written by Emily Caldwell

Source: Joshua Benoit

Ohio State University

 

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