By Dakota Antelman — Dakota@concordbridge.org
More than just an unsightly pest, cockroaches represent a health hazard, local and national experts say.
As pest control workers address a cockroach problem at the former Best Western hotel on Elm Street, which is now a state emergency shelter, public health director Melanie Dineen said it is important to “get to the source of the issue.”
The National Center for Healthy Housing says cockroach droppings and debris can cause asthma attacks. The bugs sometimes carry diseases.
The center urges homeowners, landlords, and tenants to act if they see evidence of an infestation.
The presence of cockroaches can also be a harbinger of additional issues, according to Dineen.
“It is not a healthy situation if you have that much cause for overgrowth of cockroaches,” she said. “As with any pest that you have, you want to make sure that they’re not multiplying.”
