How Typical Indoor Cockroach Infestations Can Spread Disease, Make Foods Taste Bad, And Even Stink Up Homes
Experts have documented multiple cockroach pests within the state of New York, but the most commonly encountered species in the upstate region are American, German and Oriental cockroaches. All three of these roach species are widespread in North America, but none are native to the country. Although all three of these roach species can be found within upstate New York homes, the German cockroach species is spotted indoors most frequently out of the three. Unfortunately, all three of these roach species are known for dwelling within habitats that are rich in human and animal excrement, particularly in sewers. Unsurprisingly, the filthy conditions where these cockroaches are often found make them capable of spreading a myriad of disease-causing pathogens to humans. It is not uncommon for cockroaches to spread dangerous pathogens to human food sources within the homes that they infest, but this is far from being their only revolting type of indoor activity.
While cockroaches are officially recognized as being both mechanical disease vectors and reservoirs for potentially deadly pathogens, the vile insects are particularly notable for spreading intestinal infections to humans within indoor locations. Indoor cockroach pests can also spread pathogens to humans that cause diseases such as gastroenteritis, food poisoning, dysentery, infectious hepatitis, leprosy, typhus, polio, boils, diarrhea, parasitic toxoplasmosis, cholera, salmonella and many more. In addition to spreading these pathogens, cockroaches also secrete nasty fluids from various bodily orifices that smell incredibly foul. In fact, in homes where cockroaches have congregated, this foul odor can often be smelled by humans, and the odor can even alter the taste of human foods that are kept indoors. If this is not enough, roaches also spread their saliva, feces, anal fluids, and vomit in virtually every indoor area where they travel. All of these disgusting substances have the potential to sicken the occupants of the homes that roaches infest, and the skin they shed is a leading cause of indoor allergies. Cockroach infestations do not need to become particularly large in order to have a negative effect on the health of a home’s occupants. While over-the-counter insecticides generate hundreds of millions of dollars in annual profits in the United States alone, most infestations can only be fully eradicated by a licensed pest control professional.
Have you ever fallen ill to a disease that you came to believe was caused by a cockroach infestation within your home?
