Fleas and Lice

Question 1

Key features of fleas

Answer 1

I. No wings
II. Have modified piercing-sucking mouthparts
III. Bodies are compressed laterally, legs relatively long and modified for jumping

Question 2

fleas undergo which life cycle

Answer 2

complete metamorphosis:
egg, larvae, pupa, adult

Question 3

Both adult male and female fleas are

Answer 3

obligate blood-feeders

Question 4

flea larvae feed on

Answer 4

a wide variety of organic materials, including feces of the adult flea and their own cast skin

Question 5

Medical Importance: Diseases
A few flea species are vectors of

Answer 5

plague and endemic (murine) typhus

Question 6

Medical Importance:
The cat and dog flea are both intermediate hosts of the dog tapeworm, and young children sometimes become infected

Answer 6

direct effects

Question 7

Surveillance of Fleas

Answer 7

In-home surveillance:
combing pets or other hosts for evidence
placing sticky traps under nightlights
Other methods:
burrow swabbing of rodent habitat

Question 8

Control Measures:
indoor control

Answer 8

cultural
chemical

Question 9

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

Answer 9

Cultural control

Question 10

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

Answer 10

Chemical control (indoors)

Question 11

Control Measures:
outdoor control

Answer 11

chemical
mechanical

Question 12

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

Answer 12

Chemical control (outdoor)

Question 13

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

Answer 13

Mechanical control

Question 14

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

Answer 14

Personal Protective Measures

Question 15

Lice Identification

Answer 15

small, flat, wingless insects which live as ectoparasites on mammals
piercing-sucking (obligate blood feeders)
eyes are small or absent

Question 16

lice undergo which life cycle

Answer 16

gradual metamorphosis:
egg, nymph, adult

Question 17

lice eggs

Answer 17

nits

Question 18

lice eggs are attached to

Answer 18

hairs or clothing of host

Question 19

nymphs and adult lice spend their entire lives…

Answer 19

on their host
do not survive long away from the host (are temperature sensitive)

Question 20

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.

Answer 20

body louse

Question 21

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.

Answer 21

head louse

Question 22

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.

Answer 22

pubic/crab louse

Question 23

Medical Importance: Disease
Lice transmit disease passively through

Answer 23

fecal matter

Question 24

Medical Importance: Disease
The body louse is the vector of

Answer 24

epidemic typhus and relapsing fever

Question 25

Medical Importance: Disease head louse is a capable secondary vector of

Answer 25

epidemic typhus

Question 26

Medical Importance: Disease pubic louse

Answer 26

not a vector of any diseases

Question 27

term used to label an infestation of any species of louse (e.g. head, body or pubic lice).

Answer 27

Pediculosis

Question 28

All lice normally cause

Answer 28

skin irritation that may progress to secondary medical problems

Question 29

The presence of lice is socially objectionable in terms of

Answer 29

personal hygiene, which may contribute to secondary social and/or esteem disorders.

Question 30

Surveillance of Lice

Answer 30

combing hair for nits (eggs) and inspecting clothing, and bedding

Question 31

Cultural Control: Avoid contact with other people’s headgear, combs, brushes, etc. – shampoo hair often

Answer 31

head lice

Question 32

Chemical Control: Treat with insecticidal shampoos, lotions, creams, or dusts – area insecticidal control is useless.

Answer 32

head lice

Question 33

Mechanical Control: Remove nits & lice with a “nit comb” or by hand – often practiced in some countries but not particularly effective

Answer 33

head lice

Question 34

Cultural Control: Avoid contact with infested people, clothing, bedding; wash infested items in hot, soapy water – boiling, dry heating, dry cleaning are also effective.

Answer 34

Body lice

Question 35

Chemical Control: Treat infested items with insecticides – area insecticidal control is useless.

Answer 35

Body lice

Question 36

Mechanical Control: Remove nits and lice from clothing & bedding manually (not very effective).

Answer 36

Body lice

Question 37

Cultural Control: Avoid sexual and other body contact with infested people & clothing – wash clothing & bedding in hot water

Answer 37

Pubic/Crab lice

Question 38

Chemical Control: Treat with insecticidal shampoos, lotions, creams, or dusts – area insecticidal control is useless

Answer 38

Pubic/Crab lice

Question 39

Mechanical Control: Removal of nits and lice from the affected areas manually – not particularly effective

Answer 39

Pubic/Crab lice

Question 40

most important control method for all lice

Answer 40

education