The imported Harmonia axyridis ladybug infests homes in northern West Virginia from fall through spring, causing allergic disease. Retrospective single-practice chart reviews were performed: (1) all skin prick tests (1400 included ladybug) in a community allergy practice over 4 years and (2) clinical analysis of 400 randomly chosen patients. The usual adult aeroallergen skin test panel included...

BACKGROUND Cockroach and mouse allergens have both been implicated as causes in inner-city asthma morbidity in multicenter studies, but whether both allergens are clinically relevant within specific inner-city communities is unclear. OBJECTIVE Our study aimed to identify relevant allergens in Baltimore City. METHODS One hundred forty-four children (5-17 years old) with asthma underwent skin...

BACKGROUND Cockroach allergy and exposure to high levels of this allergen are important in the increasing asthma-related health problems among young inner-city children. However, there are very little data regarding the prevalence of cockroach allergy in infants and young children with asthma. OBJECTIVE This retrospective study was designed to test the hypothesis that cockroach allergy appear...

Most American respondents give “irrational,” magical responses in a variety of situations that exemplify the sympathetic magical laws of similarity and contagion. In most of these cases, respondents are aware that their responses (usually rejections, as of fudge crafted to look like dog feces, or a food touched by a sterilized, dead cockroach) are not “scientifically” justified, but they are wi...

The ciliate Nyctotherus ovalis occurs in high numbers in the hindgut of the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) and harbors methanogenic bacteria as endosymbionts. The contribution of these hindgut microorganisms to metabolic and developmental processes of P. americana was studied by comparing cultures of cockroaches in which the composition of the hindgut microbial population was altere...

cockroaches were collected from hospitals, houses and poultry sheds in various parts of isfahan (iran) and identified to species. in total, seven species of cockroaches in seven genera were identified: blatta lateralis, polyphaga aegyptiaca, arenivaga roseni and parcoblatta spp. three species periplaneta americana, blattella germanica and supella longipalpa (blattidae and blattellidae) were mor...