Hi, Frank Indiviglio here. I’m a herpetologist, zoologist, and book author, recently retired from a career spent at several zoos, aquariums, and museums, including over 20 years with the Bronx Zoo.
Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches (Grompadorhina portentosa) are extremely popular as pets, classroom animals and reptile food. Recent studies at Ohio State University have revealed a darker side to these otherwise harmless insects…their bodies and wastes are colonized by 14 mold species, several of which can cause allergic reactions and secondary infections. I’ve worked with huge colonies of these and other feeder insects in zoos, and coworkers seem to have developed allergies to crickets, but I have not heard of similar reports concerning roaches. As of now, precautions rather than outright avoidance of Hissing Roaches are being advised. Read the rest of this article here
http://bit.ly/1qbzhLb
Please also check out my posts on Twitter
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My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with:
http://bitly.com/LC8Lbp
Best Regards, Frank