Abatement of cockroach allergens by effective cockroach management in apartments

German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.), are one of the most common indoor pests in the United States.1 Cockroach carcasses, shed skins, hatched ootheca, and feces contain allergens that can cause asthma.2 Among the 11 allergens identified from German cockroach, Bla g 1 and Bla g 2 are 2 major allergens that have been used as biomarkers of environmental exposure to German cockroaches in indoor environments.3 Because of the close association between asthma, cockroach allergen levels, and cockroach infestations, a logical approach for asthma prevention is to reduce cockroach infestations and allergen levels in the individual's environment. Arbes et al4 reported that insecticide treatment of cockroach infestations caused Bla g 1 concentrations on the kitchen floor, living room floor/sofa, and bedroom floor to decrease by 95%, 81%, and 82%, respectively, after 6 months.4 Sever et al5 showed that the geometric mean Bla g 1 concentrations decreased 91% and 94% in the kitchen after 12 months in the researcher-treated and professional company–treated apartments, respectively. Extensive details of the study site and the cockroach control program have been reported elsewhere.6 Four sticky traps were placed in each apartment in the kitchen and bathroom for 14 days to detect cockroaches and measure the cockroach infestation level.