Cockroaches are insects that have been around for hundreds of millions of years, and are well-known pests that infest human dwellings. In addition to carrying various bacteria that can be transmitted to people, cockroaches are known to cause or worsen various allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis and asthma. While there are thousands of species of cockroaches, the American cockroach (scientific name Periplaneta americana) and German cockroach (scientific name Blatella germanica) are most likely to cause allergies.
