Researchers target mice, roaches as causes of asthma

Asthma relief might be as simple as ridding the house of roaches and mice.

Researchers from the city Health Department and Montefiore Medical Center are recruiting low-income Bronx children with the respiratory ailment for a new study to test if pest control could deter asthma.

Roughly 103,654 Bronxites suffer from the ailment, according to a state controller report released earlier this year.

It was the leading cause of emergency room visits at North Central Bronx Hospital in 2013, records show.

Cockroach droppings and mice urine most common in the Bronx than any other borough become airborne dust that can trigger an attack, experts say.

Indoor conditions go a long way in showing why a kid with asthma in the Upper East Side is far less likely to go to the hospital than a kid in the south Bronx, said Dan Kass, the Health Departments deputy city commissioner for environmental health.

Researchers hope the result will convince health insurers to cover pest control as a way to save more money in the long run.

Were trying to convince the healthcare system that pest control should be a prescription, just like a medicine, Kass said.

The study seeks children aged 5-12 who suffer from asthma and live in a home with roaches and mice.

Families should call (646) 632-6304 to find out if they qualify.

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Researchers target mice, roaches as causes of asthma