Can You Get Sick From Touching a Cockroach?

Cockroaches can cause serious illness if you are allergic to their dander and droppings. If you accidentally touch one, you should wear gloves and call a medical professional. If you are allergic to their droppings, it is important to take medication to prevent an allergic reaction and treat any resulting symptoms. You can also get sick by ingesting their waste, which you should throw away immediately.

Cockroaches can carry diseases such as salmonella, which the Center for Disease Control estimates causes 1.2 million illnesses each year and causes 2,300 hospitalizations. The infection usually isn’t life-threatening, but it can cause gastroenteritis and even typhoid fever. While the most common cases of salmonella are treatable with over-the-counter medications, severe cases may require hospitalization. Besides salmonella, cockroaches can also spread E.Coli, which is a common bacteria that lives in the lower intestine of warm-blooded animals. It can cause a variety of serious diseases, from dermatitis to respiratory problems.

Cockroaches can transmit diseases through their faeces and saliva. This way, they can spread diseases to people and even cause asthma attacks. Cockroaches also carry a variety of other bacterial diseases and can cause allergic reactions in sensitive people.