Researchers at North Carolina State University have identified a clear connection between the extent of cockroach infestations in homes and the amount of allergens and bacterial toxins known as endotoxins found indoors.

The research was published in ‘The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global’. The team discovered that when pest control successfully reduced cockroach numbers, both allergen and endotoxin levels dropped sharply.

These results indicate that eliminating infestations may significantly improve indoor environmental health by cutting down harmful biological pollutants.

Endotoxins are fragments of bacterial cell walls that are released when bacteria die. Because cockroaches consume a wide range of materials, they host a diverse gut microbiome.

Previous studies have shown that these insects shed large quantities of endotoxins through their droppings. Although humans and household pets can also produce endotoxins, the researchers found that a major portion of those detected in household dust originated from cockroach feces.