Ectoparasites

Question 1

Name 2 types of ectoparasite.

Answer 1

Insect

Arachnid

Question 2

Name the insects.

Answer 2

Fleas

Lice

Question 3

Name the arachnids

Answer 3

Mites

Ticks

Question 4

Ctenocephalides felis is?

Answer 4

Cat flea

Question 5

Latin name for cat flea?

Answer 5

Ctenocephalides felis

Question 6

What feline infectious disease can Ctenocephalides felis cause?

Answer 6

Feline infectious anaemia

Question 7

Lifecycle of the flea

Answer 7

Adult flea

Eggs laid 2 days after first feed

Eggs drop off in to environment

Eggs hatch after 2 - 14 days

Lavae molt

Pupation occurs after 7 days in good conditions

Cocoon covered in environmental debris

Adult flea emerges after 10 days - many months

Question 8

What worm can fleas infect the host with?

Answer 8

Dipylidium caninum

Question 9

Name 2 types of lice

Answer 9

Biting

Sucking

Question 10

Name the biting lice.

Answer 10

Trichodectes canis

Felicola subrostratus

Question 11

Name the sucking louse

Answer 11

Linognathus setosus

Question 12

What are Trichodectes canis and Felicola subrostratus

Answer 12

Trichodectes canis - dog biting louse

Felicola subrostratus - cat biting louse

Question 13

What is Linognathus setosus

Answer 13

Sucking louse

Question 14

Where do lice eggs stick to?

Answer 14

The hair shaft

Question 15

Name the 2 types of mites.

Answer 15

Surface and burrowing

Question 16

Name 3 types of surface mites.

Answer 16

Otodectes cyanotis
Cheyletiella spp.
Neotrombicula autumnalis

Question 17

What is Otodectes cyanotis?

Answer 17

Ear mite

Question 18

What is Cheyletiella?

Answer 18

Walking dandruff

Question 19

What is Neotrombicula autumnalis?

Answer 19

Harvest mite

Question 20

What is the main difference between surface and burrowing mites?

Answer 20

Leg length. Burrowing mites have short legs and surface mites have long legs.

Question 21

Name the 3 types of burrowing mites.

Answer 21

Sarcoptes scabiei
Notoedres spp.
Demodex spp.

Question 22

What is Sarcoptes scabiei?

Answer 22

Scabies/mange

Question 23

What is Notoedres?

Answer 23

Mange (cats)

Question 24

Difference between Sarcoptes scabiei and Notoedres?

Answer 24

Notoedres has striations on the body like a dart board

Question 25

What is the latin name for tick?

Answer 25

Ixodes ricinus

Question 26

What is Ixodes ricinus?

Answer 26

Tick

Question 27

What bacteria do ticks carry and what disease does is cause?

Answer 27

Borrelia burgdoferi causes Lyme disease

Question 28

How quickly should you remove a tick to avoid disease?

Answer 28

Within 24 hours

Question 29

How do you remove a tick?

Answer 29

Tick hook

Question 30

Define the term intermediate host

Answer 30

A host in which a parasite may spend part of its life-cycle usually no reproductive stage

Question 31

Define the term paratenic host

Answer 31

Parasite lives within the tissues of the host and in order to continue its life-cycle the host must be eaten

Question 32

Briefly explain the principle of the ‘wet paper test’ in relation to fleas

Answer 32

Brush dog/cat onto paper Dampen with water If a red ring appears around the black specks this indicates flea faeces

Question 33

Explain what advice you would give to the owner of a pet that has been diagnosed with fleas

Answer 33

Treat pet and all in contact Worm all pets Give the environment treatment: vacuum first and then spray, then vacuum again dispose of the contents of the vacuum straight away Wash bedding at a very high temperature or dispose of pet bedding

Question 34

Name two disease that are carried by ectoparasites

Answer 34

Lymes disease Malaria

Question 35

Briefly explain how you would sample a dog from Sarcoptes scabiei

Answer 35

Deep skin scrape: 1. Assemble equipment: clippers, size 10 scalpel blade (blunt), liquid paraffin, microscope slide, glass coverslip, chinagraph pencil and microscope. 2. Select the area to be scraped. 3. Clip the area using clippers and size 40 blade. This will allow more accurate scraping and will remove hair that may obscure findings. 4. Dip the scalpel blade into liquid paraffin and moisten the surface of the skin. 5. Hold the blade between the thumb and forefinger. 6. Stretch the skin to be scraped with the other hand and gently scrape the area (usually 3cm x 3cm). The depth of scraping will vary according to the parasite in question, although most scraping should result in capillary ooze. 7. Transfer the collected material from the forward surface of the blade onto a glass slide. A drop of liquid paraffin can be added to the slide. 8. Place a coverslip over the sample and label the slide. 9. Set up the microscope and examine the slide using the lowest power first (x10). Vernier scale readings can be taken to relocate the parasites, although live parasites may move. 10. Slides should be viewed immediately after the sample has been collected to avoid parasites leaving the slide. 11. Once the slide has been examined and results recorded, dispose of correctly.

Question 36

Briefly explain how you would sample a rabbits for Cheyletiella

Answer 36

Sellotape impressions, examination under the microscope on low power