Fleas and Lice Flashcards
Key features of fleas
I. No wings
II. Have modified piercing-sucking mouthparts
III. Bodies are compressed laterally, legs relatively long and modified for jumping
fleas undergo which life cycle
complete metamorphosis:
egg, larvae, pupa, adult
Both adult male and female fleas are
obligate blood-feeders
flea larvae feed on
a wide variety of organic materials, including feces of the adult flea and their own cast skin
Medical Importance: Diseases
A few flea species are vectors of
plague and endemic (murine) typhus
Medical Importance:
The cat and dog flea are both intermediate hosts of the dog tapeworm, and young children sometimes become infected
direct effects
Surveillance of Fleas
In-home surveillance:
combing pets or other hosts for evidence
placing sticky traps under nightlights
Other methods:
burrow swabbing of rodent habitat
Control Measures:
indoor control
cultural
chemical
Involves making the habitat inhospitable for the flea
Deny food to larvae and adults
Vacuum all rugs and floors several times a week, clean air ducts periodically and wash pet bedding in hot soapy water
Cultural control
Treat pets with approved product and follow up with continuous treatment such as flea prevention medication or flea collars as prescribed by your veterinarian
Treat rooms with persistent flea problems with residual insecticide, space insecticide or insect growth regulator sprays
Chemical control (indoors)
Control Measures:
outdoor control
chemical
mechanical
Not practical unless there is an actual or threatened plague outbreak
If actual or threatened plague outbreak, it must be performed in conjunction with rodent control to break the plague cycle
Kill the fleas first as they are the dangerous vector
When surveillance shows fleas are gone, then control the rodents
Chemical control (outdoor)
Exclude fleas utilizing a mechanical device, such as fencing in yards and other small areas to keep out domestic and wild animals that might shed fleas in the area
Mechanical control
I. Avoidance of flea infested areas and animals which harbor fleas.
II. Use proper PPE like DEET and permethrin.
III. Never wear flea collars—a flea collar contains pesticides and should only be used IAW their label, e.g. they are not approved for human wear/use
Personal Protective Measures
Lice Identification
small, flat, wingless insects which live as ectoparasites on mammals
piercing-sucking (obligate blood feeders)
eyes are small or absent
lice undergo which life cycle
gradual metamorphosis:
egg, nymph, adult
lice eggs
nits
lice eggs are attached to
hairs or clothing of host
nymphs and adult lice spend their entire lives…
on their host
do not survive long away from the host (are temperature sensitive)
a. They live on the clothing and feed on the host’s body and lay eggs in the seams of clothing or attached to hairs of the body.
b. Spread from person to person through contact with infested individuals or clothing (poor sanitation).
c. Transmits disease passively through fecal matter.
body louse
a. These lice live on the head and attach its eggs to the base of hair strands close to the scalp.
b. Spread from person to person by direct contact and sometimes on combs, hair brushes, stray hairs, or hats.
head louse
a. This louse lives primarily in the pubic and perianal regions, but also other parts of the body that have more coarse hair (armpits, mustache, beard, and eye lashes).
b. Spread by contact with infested humans or objects used by them such as blankets – sexual transmission is common.
pubic/crab louse
Medical Importance: Disease
Lice transmit disease passively through
fecal matter
Medical Importance: Disease
The body louse is the vector of
epidemic typhus and relapsing fever
Medical Importance: Disease
head louse is a capable secondary vector of
epidemic typhus
Medical Importance: Disease
pubic louse
not a vector of any diseases
term used to label an infestation of any species of louse (e.g. head, body or pubic lice).
Pediculosis
All lice normally cause
skin irritation that may progress to secondary medical problems
The presence of lice is socially objectionable in terms of
personal hygiene, which may contribute to secondary social and/or esteem disorders.
Surveillance of Lice
combing hair for nits (eggs) and inspecting clothing, and bedding
Cultural Control: Avoid contact with other people’s headgear, combs, brushes, etc. – shampoo hair often
head lice
Chemical Control: Treat with insecticidal shampoos, lotions, creams, or dusts – area insecticidal control is useless.
head lice
Mechanical Control: Remove nits & lice with a “nit comb” or by hand – often practiced in some countries but not particularly effective
head lice
Cultural Control: Avoid contact with infested people, clothing, bedding; wash infested items in hot, soapy water – boiling, dry heating, dry cleaning are also effective.
Body lice
Chemical Control: Treat infested items with insecticides – area insecticidal control is useless.
Body lice
Mechanical Control: Remove nits and lice from clothing & bedding manually (not very effective).
Body lice
Cultural Control: Avoid sexual and other body contact with infested people & clothing – wash clothing & bedding in hot water
Pubic/Crab lice
Chemical Control: Treat with insecticidal shampoos, lotions, creams, or dusts – area insecticidal control is useless
Pubic/Crab lice
Mechanical Control: Removal of nits and lice from the affected areas manually – not particularly effective
Pubic/Crab lice
most important control method for all lice
education
