Fleas Flashcards

1
Q

Define ectoparasites

A

Spend some or all of their lives parasitising animals and usually live on or burrow into the surface of host’s skin

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2
Q

Define parasitoids

A

Parasites that will eventually kill the host

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3
Q

What are the 3 body parts of insects?

A
  • Head
  • Abdomen
  • Thorax
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4
Q

Describe the anatomy of fleas

A
  • Cones on legs (hairs that point backwards)
  • Large hind legs for jumping
  • Are Siphonaptera: suck through tube and have no wings
  • Coiled internalised penis, ejected for copulation
  • Sensilium detects CO2 levels, directing flea to food source
  • Laterally flattened
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5
Q

Describe the structure of exoskeleton

A
  • Aka cuticle
  • Made of chitin
  • Site of muscle attachment
  • Limits absolute size and size of each growing stage
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6
Q

How does growth occur in fleas?

A
  • Only through moulting

- Exoskeleton limits size of each stage

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7
Q

What are the layers of the exoskeleton?

A
  • Exocuticle
  • Endocuticle
  • Epidermis
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8
Q

How is O2 transported around the body?

A

Dissolved in haemolymph

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9
Q

Describe the respiratory apparatus of insects

A
  • Spiracles in exoskeleton are breathing holes
  • Often covered by hairs and oil
  • Oil stops water going in and drowing insect
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10
Q

Describe the digestive system of insects

A
  • Tube with lots of absorption
  • Major route of infectious agent transmission (mouth or back end)
  • Most blood suckers eject substances while feeding e.g. anticoagulants
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11
Q

What are the 2 types of life cycle?

A
  • Hemimetabola

- Holometabola

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12
Q

Define hemimetabola

A
  • Partial metamorphism

- Nymphal stage instead of larval stage (i.e. small adults)

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13
Q

Define holometabola

A
  • Full metamorphism
  • Egg, larval, pupak and adult stages
  • All look different
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14
Q

What is the main feature of orthoptera?

A

Straight wings

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15
Q

What is the main feature of diptera?

A

2 wings

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16
Q

What is the main feature of siphonaptera?

A

Tube no wings

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17
Q

Describe the feeding habits of fleas

A
  • Adult males and females are obligate blood-sucking parasites
  • Larvae live off detritus e.g. dandruff in carpets
18
Q

Name the cat flea

A

Ctenophalides felis

19
Q

Name the dog flea

A

Ctenophalides canis

- But are most commonly infected with felis

20
Q

Name the hen flea

A

Ceratophyllus gallinae

21
Q

Name the rabbit flea

A

Spilopsyllus cuniculi

- But pet rabbits most commonly infected with Ctenophalides felis

22
Q

Name the european hedgehog flea

A

Arhaeopsylla erinacei

23
Q

How can fleas be distinguished?

A
  • Genal and pronotal cones

- Head shape

24
Q

Compare the appearance of the cat, dog and hen flea

A
  • Cat: genal and pronotal cones present
  • Dog: more rounded head, pronotal and genal cones, first pronotal cone is smaller than the rest
  • Hen: only genal cones
25
Q

Describe the flea life cycle

A
  • Adults lay eggs (~25/day)
  • Eggs can last for months or hatch out in a week depending on conditions
  • Hatch into larvae - 3 instas
  • Then pupae
  • Then adults
26
Q

Describe the larval stage of fleas

A
  • 3 stages of development (instars)
  • Negatively phototrophic, positively geotrophic-
  • Develop in 5-11 days
  • Feed of detritus
27
Q

Describe the pupal stage of fleas

A
  • Approx 5mm long
  • Pupa/cocoon covered in environmental debris
  • 1 week to fully develop
  • May remain within cocoon once fully developed until senses appropriate sitmuli
28
Q

How can fleas cause disease?

A
  • irritation
  • Allergy
  • Blood loss (anaemia)
  • Spread of infections
29
Q

Describe the direct effects of fleas

A
  • Blood sucking adult females can suck 13.6u blood/day
  • Severe infestation of young/old animals can lead to anaemia
  • Substances in flea saliva act as allergens
  • Result in inflammation and pruritus
30
Q

Describe flea allergic dermatitis

A
  • FAD
  • Commonhypersensitivity reaction in cats and dogs
  • Significantly more likely to have signs of FAD when from multi-pet households due to increased spread
  • Sensitised animals intermittently exposed have greatest reaction
  • Reduced reaction in sensitised, constantly exposed animals
31
Q

Describe the indirect effects of fleas

A
  • Vectors/hosts for wide range of pathogens
  • Myxomatosis
  • Bartonella henselae
  • feline infectious anaemia
  • Yersinia pestis (plague)
  • Rickettsia felis
  • Dipylidium caninum
32
Q

Describe the role of fleas in the transmission of Dipylidium caninum

A
  • Flea larvae eat tapeworm eggs
  • Eggs hatch and develop within flea body cavity as flea develops
  • Tapeworm larvae eventually form infective cysticercoid within adult flea
  • Adult fleas eaten by host during grooming
  • Cysticercoid enters digestive tract and develops into tapeworms
  • Tapeworm eggs passed in faeces
33
Q

Outline key points in flea control

A
  • Adulticides
  • Envionrmental
  • removal of those on host
34
Q

List adulticides effective against fleas

A
  • Organophosphates
  • Pyrethroids
  • Carbamates
  • Fipronil
35
Q

Describe the use fo organophosphates and carbamates in flea control

A
  • e.g.diazinon and carbofuran
  • Anti-acetylcholinesterases
  • Overstimulation of nicotininc synapses
  • Organophosphates bind irreversibly to AchE, carbamates bind reversibly
  • Kill and repel fleas
36
Q

Describe the use of pyrethins and pyrethroids in flea control

A
  • Act on Na channels in neurones, discharges and depolarisation
  • Powders, collars, sprays
  • Kill and repel felas
37
Q

Describe the use of fiprinol in the control of fleas

A
  • Interfere with GABA neurotransmission
  • Disinhibition of neurotransmission in invertebrates
  • Kills but does not repel fleas
  • Spot on
38
Q

Describe the use of neonicotinoids in the control of fleas

A
  • Imidacloprid, nitempyram, dinoefuran
  • Stimulate nicotinic receptors like OPs but not via AcheE
  • Found in insects and not mammals so safe for mammals (but bees are a worry)
  • Kill but do not repel fleas
  • Spot-on
39
Q

Describe insect growth regulators

A
  • Either striaght hormones or analogues of those involved in life cycles of insects
  • e.g. Lufernuron, Methoprene
40
Q

Describe Lufenuron in flea control

A
  • Inhibis chitin surface, prevents moulting, get soft and do not survive well
  • Oral or by injection
  • Stored in cat/dog’s fat and released into blood, taken up by fleas
  • Prevents development of larvae in egg and subsequent moults
41
Q

Describe methoprene in flea control

A
  • Prevents pupae moulting into adults
  • In nature, drop in this triggers moult to adulthood
  • Juvelnile hormone (JH) analogue
  • Spot on/spray or environmental use
  • Usually mixed with insecticide e.g. fipronil
42
Q

What is the dorsal vessels?

A

Vessel that runs along the dorsum of insects internally, carries haemolymph