Indoor spider, centipede, ant, flea, beetle or bed bug infestations can be nightmarish for homeowners, but few arthropod pest species are considered to be more revolting than cockroaches. Unfortunately, cockroaches are among the most commonly encountered indoor insect pest species in the world. In fact, one study that aimed to identify the most common indoor arthropod species found cockroaches within 74 percent of 50 homes surveyed. Although a mere 50 homes may not provide an accurate representation of all homes located in every state in the US, the study’s authors stated that several follow-up studies conducted in a variety of regions around the globe yielded similar results. One particular anecdotal report describes a married couple’s surprise upon learning that cockroaches are just as common within their new Phoenix home as they were within their many former homes located in their hometown of Chicago.
While cockroaches are undoubtedly well established within just about every home in the world, at least people can take solace in the fact that cockroaches don’t bite or establish horrifying bodily infestations like chiggers, and certain species of mites and fly larvae. Well, to be perfectly accurate, there is an extremely slim chance that cockroaches will, one day, make a home inside of your body. Unfortunately, it is indeed true that many medical case reports describe instances involving cockroaches crawling into human body cavities.
Cockroaches are generally nuisance pests within homes, but the insects have been documented as causing human disease by spreading pathogens within homes and buildings, but such cases are rare. It is even more rare for cockroaches to climb within a human ear, nose, mouth or other bodily cavity where they maintain a lasting presence, but numerous medical cases describing such instances are not hard to come by. The vast majority of bodily roach infestations occurred after the insects crawled into body cavities at night while the victims had been sleeping, which also happens to be the same time that indoor cockroaches become active, as most species are nocturnal. Some cases saw several roaches invade the intestines of young children that had been living within severely infested conditions. Unfortunately, medical experts claim that such cases occur due to the above mentioned circumstances, and as it happens, roaches find earwax appetizing. So consider earplugs before falling asleep at night.
Have you ever heard of any incident involving arthropod infestations within human bodies?
