Entomology 10

Head louse

Medical Entomology

  1. Insects of Medical Importance
    1. Filth-breeding insects
    2. Venomous insects
    3. Parasites of vertebrates
    4. Blood-sucking insects
  2. Terminology
    1. Agent - An organism (parasite or pathogen) that may establish a residence in or on the living body of another generally larger host organism.
    2. Parasite Infection - Parasitic relationship in which organisms (agents) reside in the living bodies of dissimilar organisms.
    3. Infestation - Parasitic relationship in which organisms (agents) reside on the surface of living bodies of dissimilar organisms. (Note: sometimes used when agents reside in intestinal or reproductive tracts of dissimilar organism because this is still considered external).
    4. Disease - Ill at ease; the illness that may result from an infection. However, not all disease is the result of an infection.
    5. Reservoir - Member of a population of organisms in which certain infectious agents can be perpetuated. In the case of zoonoses, a reservoir host would generally be designated as a non human animal supporting the same developmental stages of the agent as those occurring in a human host.
    6. Vector - An organism, generally an arthropod, that actively carries an infectious agent from an original host into contact with another susceptible host. The infectious agent may or may not infect the vector.
    7. Zoonosis - An infection that causes disease in human populations but that can be perpetuated solely in non human host animals; e.g. bubonic plague.
    8. Anthroponosis - An infection that causes disease in non human hosts but that can be perpetuated solely in human hosts; e.g. malaria.
  3. Major Diseases of Humans
    1. Protozoa
      1. Malaria
      2. Sleeping sickness
      3. Chagas disease
      4. Leishmaniasis
    2. Bacteria
      1. Bubonic plague
      2. Tularemia
      3. Typhus
    3. Viruses (Arboviruses)
      1. Dengue (Break-bone fever)
      2. Encephalitis (several kinds)
      3. Yellow fever
      4. AIDS and mosquitoes (no association)
    4. Nematodes
      1. Filariasis (Elephantiasis)
      2. Onchocerciasis
  4. Major Diseases of Animals
    1. Protozoa
      1. Nagana disease
      2. Malaria
    2. Bacteria
      1. Bubonic plague
      2. Anthrax
    3. Viruses
      1. Equine encephalitis
      2. Yellow fever
    4. Nematodes
      1. Dog heartworm
      2. Eyeworm
  5. Life Cycle of Malaria (see handout)
    1. Intermediate host
    2. Definitive host
  6. Case History Studies
    1. Malaria
    2. Bubonic plague
    3. Yellow fever
    4. Typhus

Suggested Reading in Gullan and Cranston:
pp. 376-389
pp. 390-394

See the table of Major Human Diseases Vectored by Insects

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