COCKROACHES AND THEIR

BORNE DISEASE

Present by Lingmin Zhang (Lynn)

 Introduction
• Cockroaches are considered to be one of the
worst household pests because they
contaminate food with their excrement,
produce allergens and secrete an unpleasant
odor which can permeate the indoor
environment.
• World-wide distribution, especially in the
tropics and subtropics
 Introduction
• There are almost 4000 species, 50 species have become
domestic pests
• Most important medically:
– Blatella germanica( 德国小蠊 ) (the German cockroach) ★
– Blatta orientalis( 东方蜚蠊 ) (the Oriental cockroach) ★
– Periplaneta americana( 美洲大蠊 ) (the American cockroach) ★
– P. australasiae( 澳洲大蠊 ) (the Australian cockroach)
– Supella longipalpa( 棕带蜚蠊 ) (the brown-banded cockroach) ★
– Leucophaea maderae( 马德拉蜚蠊 ) (the Madeira cockroach)
 German Brownbanded

American Oriental
 Introduction
• The American cockroach is found in commercial and
residential accounts. Live in sewers, and is often
found infesting ships as well. Occasionally, this
cockroach will injure indoor plants by feeding on
stems and leaves.
• The oriental cockroach lives in dark, damp places like
indoor and outdoor drains, water control boxes,
garages, basements, and damp areas under houses. It
prefer cooler temperatures, move more slowly than
the other species and do not fly.
 Introduction
• German cockroach is the most common indoor
species. They prefer kitchens, and bathrooms which
warm, humid areas that are close to food and water.
• Brownbanded cockroach live in near the warm
electrical components of appliances such as radios,
televisions, and refrigerators. Often found in offices
and other places. Males sometimes fly when
disturbed
 External morphology
• Adult of cockroaches:
– broad and flattened in shape, with smooth, shiny
and tough integument
– medium-sized to large (1.0-5.0 cm long)
– vary in color from light to dark brown and may
have markings on their thorax and wings
 External morphology
• Head:
– small, sometimes hidden by the large rounded pronotum
– 2 very long, slender antennae
– Mouthparts are developed for chewing, gnawing and
scraping
• Thorax:
– Two pairs of wings, the fore wings are rather leathery for
protection and the hind wings are membranous for flying
– Three pairs of legs are well-developed and cover with
small spines and bristles
 External morphology
• Abdomen:
– Oval and segmented
– A pair of pilose cerci arise from
the last abdominal segment
– In the males a pair of styles
project from the end of the
abdomen between the cerci
 Life cycle and Habits
• The life cycle is hemimetabolous: egg, nymph
and adult stage.
– The female drop or glue ootheca 卵鞘 (i.e., egg
case) to suitable surfaces such as block walls or
cardboard boxes.
 Life cycle and Habits
• Each ootheca contains 5 to 40
eggs.
– One female may produce 9 to 10
oothecae during her lifetime.
– The German cockroach carries
Top: Oriental, German
the ootheca for 30-day
Bottom: American, Brownbanded
incubation period and then drops
it about the time the eggs hatch,
the other four species carry it for
only about a day before
depositing it.
 Life cycle and Habits
• immature cockroaches (nymphs)
– Nymphs molt several times before maturation,
after molting, they are white, but within hours,
their outer covering darkens. The last nymphal
instar is about 7 mm long
– They look like adults and have similar feeding
habits, but do not have wings and are not
reproductively active.
– These young reach reproducing age in 3 months.
 Life cycle and Habits
• Adult Cockroaches
– develop rapidly in high temperature, humidity and
enough food.
– They eat meat, starches, cereals, milk products, fruit,
clothing, paper, and live or dead insects.
– They are nocturnal and run rapidly when disturbed.
– They prefer moist, damp places and are mostly found
in kitchens, laundry rooms, bathrooms, dairies,
warehouses and sewers.
 Life cycle and Habits
• Cockroaches tend to aggregate in corners, hide in cardboard
boxes, baskets, luggage, furniture, appliances, etc.
• They can crawl and spread from one place to another along
sewer lines, conduits, water lines and other service
conditions.
• German and brownbanded cockroaches inhabit buildings,
whereas the oriental, smokybrown, and American
cockroaches usually live outdoors, only occasionally invading
buildings.
 Life cycle and Habits
• Cockroaches can carry bacteria, virus,
fungi and protozoa from the sink or bathroom
onto dishes and other food surfaces.
• Their habit of regurgitating partially digested
food and often dropping feces while feeding
are potentially dangerous features to spreading
disease.
 Medical importance
• Cockroaches can mechanical transmit various
illnesses
– Viruses: poliomyelitis
– Bacteria: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella
dysenteriae and Salmonella species
– Protozoa: Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia intestinalis and
Balantidium coli
• They are intermediate hosts of common parasite, eg.
the acanthocephalid and Gongylonema pulchrum,
 Medical importance
• They have been found naturally infected with
Toxoplasma gondi and suspected of transmitting this
parasite to cats and man.
• Many people develop allergies to cockroaches.
Allergens present in roach feces can become airborne
along with normal house dust. And can be inhaled
from the air or ingested when in contact with food.
Sensitised people can cause severe asthma attacks
 Prevention and Control
• Use Pest Control Products
– Insecticidal spraying in cupboards, wardrobes,
kitchen furniture, underneath sinks, refrigerators
and nearby dustbins
– Dusts or paints containing insecticides may be
applied to sewer tunnels
and entrance covers
– residual efficiency of sprays
depends on the surfaces on
which they are applied
 Prevention and Control

• Use Pest Control Products

– Poison baits (a stomach poison) are much better
and less toxic than traditional sprays.
– When using baits, install sufficient numbers of bait
placements to target the harborage area.
– Glue traps may aid in harborage areas.
 Prevention and Control
• Cut off Food & Water Sources
– Wipe off kitchen counters and dining room table after
every meal or snack.
– Vacuum and sweep home regularly to help remove bits of
food especially on carpets and furniture.
– Garbage should be kept in containers with lids and
disposed of as often as possible.
– Keep all foods stored in kitchen cupboards in sealed
containers.
 Prevention and Control
• Eliminate Roach Hiding Places
– Don't put paper or plastic bags in the space
between refrigerator and a kitchen cupboard.
– Use the narrow crevice attachment vacuum cleaner
to suck cockroaches out of cracks, from under your
refrigerator and stove, from cupboards and off
furniture.
– Seal holes and crevices in cupboards and walls.
 Questions
• What type of cockroach has taken residence in
our house?
• Any thoughts on how our roach control
strategy?
• What kind of disease can be transmitted by
cockroach?