ENTOMOLOGY
DR.STEFFIN SARA JOSEPH
SR
Specific Learning Objectives
Identify different arthropods of medical importance
How to identify species and sex of certain arthropods
Life cycle of certain arthropods and their habitats
To have an idea about different Arthopod borne diseases
Different control measures for arthropods
MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
Study of arthropods of medical importance.
INSEC ARACHNI CRUSTAC
TA DA EA
Mosquito
Houseflies
Sandfly Hard tick
Tsetse fly Soft tick
Blackfly Trombiculid Cyclops
Lice mite
Sand flea Itch mite
Rat flea
Reduviid bug
INSECTA ARACHNIDA CRUSTACEA
BODY DIVISIONS Head, thorax and abdomen Cephalothorax and Cephalothorax and
abdomen abdomen
Legs 3pairs 4pairs 5pairs
Antennae 1pair None 2pairs
Wings 1/2 pairs, some are None None
wingless
Found in Land Land Water
Transmission of diseases
Mode of transmission
Direct contact Scabies, Pediculosis
Mechanical transmission Diarrhoea, Dysentery, Typhoid
Biological transmission Plague bacilli in rat fleas - Propagative
Malaria parasite in mosquito - Cyclopropagative
Filarial parasite in mosquito - Cyclodevelopmental
Mosquito
Antennae –
Bushy in male
Anopheles Culex Aedes Mansonia
Eggs Single, Boat shaped Cluster, no lateral Single, cigar shaped, Star shaped clusters
with lateral floats floats no lateral floats under leaves of
aquatic plants
Larva Horizontal, no Suspended in water surface with head downwards, Siphon tube on
siphon tube 8th abdominal segment, Mansonia – larvae is attached to root of
aquatic plants with siphon tube
Pupa Siphon tube is broad Siphon tube is long and narrow
and short
Adults At rest inclined at an At rest – hunch back, Wings are unspotted, Palpi is short in
angle to surface females
Spotted wings Tiger mosquito –
white stripes on
black body
Palpi is long in both
sexes
Anopheles Culex Aedes Mansonia
Breeding habits Clean water Dirty water Artificial collections Water containing
water hyacinths,
Pistia
Time of biting Day biters
Diseases transmitted Malaria Bancroftian filariasis YF Malayan filariasis
JE Dengue
Chikungunya
Control measures
Anti-Larval measures Anti- Adult measures Protection against mosquito bites
Environmental Control Residual Sprays Mosquito net
Source reduction- filling and drainage, Applied to walls 1-3times/yr < 0.0475 inch in diameter
Proper disposal of sewage and waste DDT White net
water, destruction of aquatic plants
Chemical control Space sprays Screening
Mineral oil – MLO Pyrethrum Copper / Bronze gauze
Paris green – Stomach poison No residual action < 0.0475 inch in diameter
Synthetic – Abate Residual Insecticides – ULV fogging – 16 meshes to 1 inch
malathion
Biological Control Genetic control – Repellants
Gambusia affinis and Lebister Research phase Diethyl toluamide
Reticulatus Sterile male technique, Cytoplasmic
incompatibility, Chromosomal
tranlocations, Sex distortion and Gene
replacement
House fly
Musca domestica, Musca vicinia
Are signs of insanitation, and
number is an index of insanitaion
Habits
Breeding habits – all type of organic waste, manure, human excreta
Feeding habits – vomits on solid food , and suck it
Vomit drop – culture of bacteria
Defectaion – defecate frequently
Transmission of disease
Mechanical transmission - porters of infection
Vomit drop
Defecation
Diseases transmitted – Typhoid, Paratyphoid , Diarrhoeas, Dysentery, cholera,
amoebiasis, helminthic infestation, trachoma, conjunctivitis, yaws, anthrax
Control measures
Environmental control – Sanitary latrines, storage of waste in closed bins, sanitary
disposal of animal excreta, stopping open air defecation, disposal of waste by
incineration, sanitary landfill
Insecticidal control – Residual sprays – DDT, malathion,Poisoned Baits, Cords and
Ribbons, Space sprays – Pyrethrin ,DDT, Larvicides – Diazinon
Sticky fly papers
Protection - Screening – 14meshes to 1 inch
Health education
Sand fly
Light brown or dark in colour
Covered with hair
Only females bite
Legs are long and slender
Smaller than mosquito
Wings are upright and lanceolate
in shape
Donot fly , they hop
Habits Diseases transmitted Control measures
Nocturnal pest Kala-azar Insecticide – DDT
Day time – holes / crevices in walls , Sandfly fever Sanitation – Filling up cracks and
cattle sheds Oriental sore crevices
Confined within 50yards from Removal of shrubs and vegetation
breeding place within 50yards.
Poultry houses and cattle sheds
should be located at fair distance
from human dwellings
Tsetse fly /Glossinae
Blood sucking flies
Yellow / Dark brown in colour
Wings when folded overlap
each other
Proboscis is non- retractile
Fly belts
Characteristics Control measures
Riverine species and Savannah species Insecticides – DDT/ Dieldrin
Both sexes bite Clearing of vegetation
Rarely enter houses Genetic control – sterile male technique
Trypanosomiasis / Sleeping sickness
Black fly Large broad
wings
Blood sucking small flies
Range of flight – 100miles
Onchocerciasis – Africa, Mexico,
Central and South America
Life cycle – 4 stages
Larvae is aquatic
Control measures
Adult fly – 100 miles
short
Larvae - Abate
Lice
Wingless ectoparasites
3 types of louse –
Pediculus corporis,
Pediculus capitis
Phthirus pubis
Infestation – pediculosis
Head louse Body louse Pubic louse
Body Dorsoventrally flattened Small size
Head - 5 jointed antennae Square body
Thorax is square shaped Head is impacted in thorax
Legs have claws Extremely inert
Habitat Head Body Perineal region
Diseases transmitted Epidemic typhus Doesnot carry any disease
Relapsing fever
Trench fever
Dermatitis
Dissemination Direct contact
Indirect contact
Control measures
Insecticidal control
Head and crab lice – Lotion – 0.5percent malathion, Carbaryl powder
Body lice – Powder with 1 percent malathion , carbaryl
Mass delousing – 50g of powder is used for each person
2nd application – after 7days
Personal hygiene
Daily bathing with soap and water
Clothing , towels, sheets – hot water
Fleas
Bilaterally compressed , wingless insects
Blood sucking ectoparasites
Rat flea - Xenopsylla cheopis, Xenopsylla astia
Sand flea – Tunga penetrans
Rat flea
Head is conical in shape
Mouth parts project downwards
from head , adapted for piercing
and sucking blood.
Habits Bodies of rodents, animals, cracks and crevices
Both sexes bite and suck blood
Cannot fly , make vertical jumps
Passively transported in goods, raw cotton
Life span 1 month
Infected flea - 1yr
Diseases transmitted Bubonic plague
Endemic typhus
Chiggerosis
Hymenolepis diminuta
Mode of transmission Biting
Mechanical transmission
Faeces
Flea indices
General flea index
Average number of fleas of all species per rodent.
Specific flea index
Average number of each species of flea per rodent.
Percentage incidence of flea species
Percentage of fleas of each species found per rodent.
Rodent infestation rate
Percentage of rodents infested with various flea species.
Blocked flea
Plague bacilli get multiplied within the stomach of flea and block the food passage.
Such a blocked flea will not be able to suck blood.
Because of hunger flea bites ferociously and inject bacilli into the wound.
Chief method of transmission of plague – bite of blocked flea
Control measures
Insecticidal control – 10 percent DDT dust / carbaryl / diazinon / malathion.
Sprays should be applied to floors and walls upto a height of about 1 feet.
Patch dusting
Insecticidal dust – blown into rodents burrow – 30g/burrow
Repellant – DEET / Benzyl benzoate
Rodent control
Sand flea
Fertilized female burrows into the skin of the feet, ulcers – tetanus, gas gangrene.
Hosts – domestic animals
Reduviid bugs
Vectors of chagas disease
Bloodsucking
India – donot transmit any
disease
Bite - hypersensitivity rn
Habitat – cracks, fissures
Control – Residual spray with
HCH / dieldrin
Ticks
Body – oval in shape, all three larva , nymph and adults live on blood
4 pairs of legs, No antenna
Transmit disease by biting
Larva and nymph can also transmit disease
Transovarian transmission of disease.
Scutum Head Eggs Habit Diseases transmitted
Hard Covers entire Anterior 100s of eggs at Cannot stand Tick typhus
tick back in males, one sitting starvation Viral encephalitis
small portion in Tick paralysis
front in females Tularaemia
VHF,VF
Soft Absent Ventrally Batches Stand starvation Relapsing fever, KFD, Q fever
tick for 1yr or more
Control measures
Insecticidal control - dusting or spraying
Environmental control – filling cracks or crevices
Repellants – Protective clothing impregnated with repellent – deet, benzyl benzoate
Painting over it with petrol paraffin.
Mites
4 pairs of legs.
Trombiculid mite ( Leptotrombidium delicense )
Itch mite ( Sarcoptes scabiei )
Trombiculid mite
Spider like arthropods
Larva and adult feeds on blood
Nymph feeds on vegetable juices
Vector of scrub typhus
Control measures
Insecticidal control - dusting or spraying
Environmental control – filling cracks or crevices
Repellants – Protective clothing impregnated with repellent – deet, benzyl benzoate
Itch mite
Sarcoptes scabiei or Acarus scabiei
Female burrows under epidermis and lays eggs.
Just visible to naked eye.
Body – shaped like tortoise – rounded above and flattened below
Two pairs of legs in front – end in long tubular processes called suckers
Two pairs behind – end in long bristles
Mode of spread Diagnosis Control measures
Close contact Itching worst at night Benzyl benzoate – 25 percent,
Contaminated clothes Follicular lesions applied below chin till sole of foot ,
Crusted papules and pustules rpt application after 12 hrs , after
Similar history in family members 24hrs take bath.
Confirmation – microscopy 5 percent Permethrin - applied
overnight.
Site of lesions – hands and wrist
Extensor aspect of elbow
Axillae, buttocks, lower abdomen,
palms in infants, breasts in females,
genitals in males.
Cyclops
Crustacean
Fresh water
Pear shaped semitransparent body, forked tail, 2 pairs of antennae, small pigmented
eye.
Jerky movements.
Intermediate host of guinea- worm disease and Diphyllobothrium latum.
Control measures
Physical – straining, boiling
Chemical – Chlorine – 5ppm
Abate 1mg/litre
Biological – Barbel fish and Gambusia fish
Environmental – Abolition of step wells.
THANK YOU
