Lecture 2: What is Medical Entomology?

Question 1

Entomology

Answer 1

The study of insects

Question 2

Medical entomology

Answer 2

• The study of medically important insects

- Any aspect of biology that deals with insects that can transmit disease or cause harm

Question 3

What is “medically important”?

Answer 3

• Cause or transmit a disease
• Cause physical injury or distress
• Cause immunological response
• Cause psychological response

Question 4

Characteristics of insects

Answer 4

• Three pairs of legs
• Segmented body
• Often two pairs of wings
• Hard exoskeleton
• Molt

Question 5

Characteristics of non-insect arthropods

Answer 5

• More than 3 pairs of legs
• Head and thorax sometimes fused
• Sometimes non-segmented body
• No wings
• Antennae/other appendages that differ from insects

Question 6

Malaria

Answer 6

• A protozoan transmitted by a mosquito
• 1/3 to 1/2 of all human deaths since stone age
• 120 million new cases/year
• 33 million infected at any given time

Question 7

Dengue

Answer 7

• A virus (arbovirus) transmitted by a mosquito
• 300 million cases/year
• Found in more than 100 countries
• Emerging pathogen

Question 8

Vector

Answer 8

An organism that is capable of carrying a disease from one host and transmitting it to another

Question 9

Disease transmission

Answer 9

Transmission if the transfer of a pathogen from one organism to another

Question 10

Transmission cycle

Answer 10

Transmission cycle is any pattern or regular transfer of disease through specific phases

Question 11

Arbovirus

Answer 11

Arthropod borne virus

Question 12

Host

Answer 12

An organism that is considered the primary “target” of a disease or pathogen. An organism that harbors a disease.

Question 13

Infected

Answer 13

An organism that is colonized by a pathogen

Question 14

Infectious

Answer 14

The organism is capable of transmitting the pathogen

Question 15

Endemic

Answer 15

• A pathogen that is able to be maintained through a “natural” transmission cycle
• Native to the area (not invasive)

Question 16

Invasive

Answer 16

A pathogen that is not native to an area

Question 17

Reservoir host

Answer 17

The organism/population that harbors a pathogen under natural conditions, but usually does not show any ill effects

Question 18

Extrinsic incubation period

Answer 18

The period of time between infection and being infectious in a vector

Question 19

Intrinsic incubation period

Answer 19

The period of time between infection and being infectious in a host

Question 20

Emerging pathogen

Answer 20

A pathogen that is not common or normally found, may be invasive

Question 21

Enzootic cycle

Answer 21

A transmission cycle between an animal reservoir host and the vector, not involving humans

Question 22

Dead end host

Answer 22

A host that becomes infected but cannot pass the disease along

Question 23

Epidemic

Answer 23

An outbreak with more cases than normal in a human population

Question 24

What is an infectious disease?

Answer 24

Any disease that is transmitted by an arthropod vector

Question 25

Ways infectious disease can impact us

Answer 25

Kill us, disable us, increase likelihood of death, reduce reproduction, financial impact