title: Assessment of environmental cockroach allergen exposure.
abstract: In the past, cockroach allergen exposure assessment mainly focused on settled dust in homes in low-income urban cities in the United States. That choice was not wrong; without measureable levels of cockroach allergen, it is difficult to show associations with any home characteristics, much less with health outcomes (e.g., allergy, asthma). However, recent studies in other suburban areas, schools, and other countries have elucidated the importance of cockroach allergen in these environments too. In addition, characterizing the underlying factors that give rise to cockroach allergen exposure (or protect against it) can lead to more targeted public health interventions. This review discusses different approaches to sampling indoor environments, interprets recent asthma and allergy studies, compares cockroach allergen levels from past studies with those of recent studies, and describes strategies for decreasing exposures.
authors: Office of Non-communicable Diseases, Injury and Environmental Health, Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services, Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4770 Buford Highway, MS F-60, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. gjc0@cdc.gov
authors: Ginger L
authors: GL
authors: Chew
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D002947:Cities; D002980:Climate; D003058:Cockroaches / Q000276:immunology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology; D007182:Income; D011203:Poverty; D012574:Schools; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens