BACKGROUND: Allergen avoidance has been shown to improve the morbidity and physiology of asthma. Although cockroach allergen has been implicated in chronic asthma, little work has been reported on the feasibility of allergen removal from infested homes. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the effect of professional pest control and home cleaning on cockroach infestation and allergen concentrations in settled dust samples from the kitchens, bedrooms, and television-living rooms of inner-city homes. METHODS: Thirteen homes in inner-city Baltimore, Maryland, received a professional cleaning, with vacuuming and a thorough cleaning in the kitchen. Pest control technicians applied abamectin 0.05% gel to the kitchen and, to a limited extent, to the rest of the home and the cleaning was repeated. Technicians visited monthly from month 2 to month 8 to inspect, collect dust samples, and place passive cockroach traps. Bla g 1 concentrations in dust extract were measured by means of ELISA. RESULTS: The number of cockroaches captured in passive traps decreased rapidly in 11 homes, but complete extermination was achieved in only 7 homes. Bla g 1 concentrations were reduced by 93% in kitchens, 77% in television-living rooms, and 74% in bedrooms. The relative reduction in cockroach allergen was not related to successful extermination or to signs of poor house-cleaning. CONCLUSION: We concluded that cockroach extermination is feasible in inner-city homes but that standard house-cleaning procedures are only partially effective in removing residual allergen over 8 months.
BACKGROUND: Allergen avoidance has been shown to improve the morbidity and physiology of asthma. Although cockroach allergen has been implicated in chronic asthma, little work has been reported on the feasibility of allergen removal from infested homes. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the effect of professional pest control and home cleaning on cockroach infestation and allergen concentrations in settled dust samples from the kitchens, bedrooms, and television-living rooms of inner-city homes. METHODS: Thirteen homes in inner-city Baltimore, Maryland, received a professional cleaning, with vacuuming and a thorough cleaning in the kitchen. Pest control technicians applied abamectin 0.05% gel to the kitchen and, to a limited extent, to the rest of the home and the cleaning was repeated. Technicians visited monthly from month 2 to month 8 to inspect, collect dust samples, and place passive cockroach traps. Bla g 1 concentrations in dust extract were measured by means of ELISA. RESULTS: The number of cockroaches captured in passive traps decreased rapidly in 11 homes, but complete extermination was achieved in only 7 homes. Bla g 1 concentrations were reduced by 93% in kitchens, 77% in television-living rooms, and 74% in bedrooms. The relative reduction in cockroach allergen was not related to successful extermination or to signs of poor house-cleaning. CONCLUSION: We concluded that cockroach extermination is feasible in inner-city homes but that standard house-cleaning procedures are only partially effective in removing residual allergen over 8 months.
Authors: Shanna Ludwig; Isabel Jimenez-Bush; Emily Brigham; Sonali Bose; Gregory Diette; Meredith C McCormack; Elizabeth C Matsui; Meghan F Davis Journal: Sci Total Environ Date: 2017-01-05 Impact factor: 7.963
Authors: Sarah K Wise; Sandra Y Lin; Elina Toskala; Richard R Orlandi; Cezmi A Akdis; Jeremiah A Alt; Antoine Azar; Fuad M Baroody; Claus Bachert; G Walter Canonica; Thomas Chacko; Cemal Cingi; Giorgio Ciprandi; Jacquelynne Corey; Linda S Cox; Peter Socrates Creticos; Adnan Custovic; Cecelia Damask; Adam DeConde; John M DelGaudio; Charles S Ebert; Jean Anderson Eloy; Carrie E Flanagan; Wytske J Fokkens; Christine Franzese; Jan Gosepath; Ashleigh Halderman; Robert G Hamilton; Hans Jürgen Hoffman; Jens M Hohlfeld; Steven M Houser; Peter H Hwang; Cristoforo Incorvaia; Deborah Jarvis; Ayesha N Khalid; Maritta Kilpeläinen; Todd T Kingdom; Helene Krouse; Desiree Larenas-Linnemann; Adrienne M Laury; Stella E Lee; Joshua M Levy; Amber U Luong; Bradley F Marple; Edward D McCoul; K Christopher McMains; Erik Melén; James W Mims; Gianna Moscato; Joaquim Mullol; Harold S Nelson; Monica Patadia; Ruby Pawankar; Oliver Pfaar; Michael P Platt; William Reisacher; Carmen Rondón; Luke Rudmik; Matthew Ryan; Joaquin Sastre; Rodney J Schlosser; Russell A Settipane; Hemant P Sharma; Aziz Sheikh; Timothy L Smith; Pongsakorn Tantilipikorn; Jody R Tversky; Maria C Veling; De Yun Wang; Marit Westman; Magnus Wickman; Mark Zacharek Journal: Int Forum Allergy Rhinol Date: 2018-02 Impact factor: 3.858
Authors: Michelle L Sever; Samuel J Arbes; J Chad Gore; Richard G Santangelo; Ben Vaughn; Herman Mitchell; Coby Schal; Darryl C Zeldin Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Date: 2007-09-07 Impact factor: 10.793
Authors: Wanda Phipatanakul; Beth Cronin; Robert A Wood; Peyton A Eggleston; Mei-Chiung Shih; Leslie Song; Raffi Tachdjian; Hans C Oettgen Journal: Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol Date: 2004-04 Impact factor: 6.347
Authors: Elizabeth C Matsui; Nadia N Hansel; Meredith C McCormack; Robert Rusher; Patrick N Breysse; Gregory B Diette Journal: Immunol Allergy Clin North Am Date: 2008-08 Impact factor: 3.479