Efficacy of integrated pest management in reducing cockroach allergen concentrations in urban public housing.
The efficacy of residential interventions to reduce cockroach allergens in public housing developments was evaluated over months of follow-up. Repeated measurements were collected from 39 apartments, with longitudinal analyses used to evaluate changes over time. Bla g 1 kitchen concentrations were reduced 71% and bed concentrations 53% (86% and 70% for Bla g 2, respectively) by 6 months post-intervention, after which concentrations began to increase. Apartments with higher concentrations were usually in poorer condition and benefited most from pest management efforts. Intensive interventions can significantly reduce the allergen burden in public housing apartments, but intervention efforts must be sustained.
Peters
Junenette L
JL
Department of Environmental Health, Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. jpeters@hsph.harvard.edu
Levy
Jonathan I
JI
Muilenberg
Michael L
ML
Coull
Brent A
BA
Spengler
John D
JD
D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000032:analysis; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001513:Beds; D001900:Boston; D003058:Cockroaches / Q000276:immunology*; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005430:Floors and Floorcoverings; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006796:Household Work; D006801:Humans; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011638:Public Housing; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014505:Urban Population
D000485:Allergens; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D004391:Dust; C105482:allergen Bla g 1; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C094699:allergen Bla g 2