Cockroaches are more than their Disguting Appearance

Abstract

Cockroaches are the most common insects on earth with worldwide distribution. They have been around for about 300 million years and today there are about 4,000 known species. Only a few species commonly inhabit human dwellings. The most common of these are the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), the German cockroach (Blattella germanica). They are about 1-2 inches in length, oval, flattened shape, long antennae, nocturnal in habit. Although cockroaches have never been incriminated as disease vectors in epidemics, they have close association with people and food supplies. Their habits, body structure, and mobility certainly make cockroaches well adapted for mechanically transmitting diseases, research and laboratory experiments have shown that such mechanical transmission is possible. They can carry pathogenic organisms and deposit them along with excreta on food.