Could ladybugs or cockroaches be causing your allergic respiratory symptoms?

Home infestations with ladybugs (Harmonia axyridis) occur throughout the U.S.   During a screening of blood bank donors,  about 10% had evidence of allergy to ladybug.  However, the test used may not always distinguish between ladybug and cockroach specific allergy antibodies.  A skin test using ladybug extracts was more successful in distinguishing the two, but is not commercially available at this point.

Cockroach allergy is quite common, especially in urban areas where people are more likely to be exposed to cockroaches in the home as well as in public buildings.  Cockroach exposure can trigger a sensitized person to have a major asthma attack or nasal allergy symptoms.  Now we should also consider the possibility of ladybug sensitization as a cause of similar symptoms.

Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2009 Nov; 103(5): 432-5.  Clark MT, Levin T, Dolen W.  Cross-reactivity between cockroach and ladybug using the radioallergosorbent test.

Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2010 Aug; 105(2): 182-3. Goetz DW. Clinical efficacy of asian ladybug whole-body extract skin testing.