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This is probably why your child gets sick too often
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Active children are prone to getting wounds from minor accidents like falling off a bike. These wounds could become infected. (Shutterstock/File)
A
side from the unpleasant appearance of the dark-brown insects that often emerge in your bathroom's shower drain, cockroaches turn out to be even more repulsive than they look: They are known to be carriers of intestinal diseases, namely cholera, diarrhea, dysentery and typhoid fever, as reported by TheHealthSite.com, which can jeopardize the health of your child.
Because these pests can live anywhere and feed on anything — including human feces and food scraps found in trash bins — cockroaches easily spread germs in human habitations, which eventually can cause diseases, reported tempo.co.
One illness at a time, this is how cockroaches transmit a range of diseases to humans and can undermine your child’s wellbeing.
Stomach infection (gastroenteritis)
If your child consumes food and water contaminated by alcaligenesfaecalis, Proteus mirabilis, pseudomonas and aalmonella bacteria, it will be afflicted by stomach infection, which leads to diarrhea and other digestive disorders, often followed by fever. Cockroaches typically hide in food remains in the kitchen, for instance in egg shells or even in uneaten plates of food.
(Read also: Simple homemade flu and cough remedies)
Diarrhea
According to the WHO, the E. coli, salmonella, shigella and aeromonas bacteria, which are the main causes of diarrhea, are prone to stick all over the bodies of cockroaches and easily spread to every corner of a house.
Typhoid fever
Commonly found in the tropics, typhoid fever can be transmitted by cockroaches that eat or crawl on human feces contaminated by the salmonella enterica typhi bacteria. Such bacteria can be found in raw ingredients for cooking, as well as your food.
Asthma
For children who suffer from asthma or any breathing disorders, the presence of animals can cause asthma attacks. This goes for cockroaches, as they trigger asthma attacks, pneumonia and other respiratory disorders.
(Read also: Four things to do when your kids are hospitalized)
Wound infections
Active children are prone to getting wounds from minor accidents, like falling from a bike. However, cockroaches can further damage your child’s wounds, as the insect carries the septicaemia organism that transmits the clostridium bacteria. If affected, your child’s wounds can end up in a fatal state.
All these health risks posed by cockroaches, fortunately, are not unpreventable. According to the WHO, there are ways to keep your home off limits for these pests:
- Store your food in tightly-closed containers.
- Always close the top of your trash bins and throw trash out regularly.
- Clean raw food ingredients before cooking. Avoid consuming fruits or vegetables that have holes or defects.
- Use insecticide to terminate health-threatening insects.
- Keep insects away from your kitchen. (mar/kes)
