Insect and vector diseases

Brief description with images

1. INSECT and vector diseases Date of publication : 24.2.2016 Dr Tusar Kanti Ghosal Founder and President Zoological Society of Koch Behar (A Govt. registered and non profit volunteer organization till 2011) Post & Dist. Cooch Behar State : West Bengal, India 736101 E mail : [email protected]

2. TYPHUS DISEASE 1 Head lice and pubic lice are not involved in disease transmission but body lice may carry the agents of epidermic typhus, trench fever.

3. Head Louse, Pediculus humanus capitis De Greer 1767 Order : Phthiraptera Common name: Louse (= lice in plural) Bengali Name : Ukun Lice are obligate parasites of warm-blooded birds and mammals (except monotremes , pangolins and bats). Head lice ( Pediculus humanus capitis ) and body lice ( Pediculus humanus corporis ) are subspecies of  Pediculus humanus and pubic lice are a separate species ie   Pthirus pubis .

4. Anopluran (sucking lice) usually occurring on mammals. Apart from it Rhynchophthirinen parasites occuring on parasites of elephants and other mammals. Isochnoceran are mostly avian chewing lice. However, one family of Isochnoceran parasitizes mammals also. Amblyceran (a primitive suborder of chewing lice) also widespread on birds. However, they are not reported in India . It live on South American and Australian mammals. They are vectors  of several diseases such as typhus to mammals.

5. Body louse is the only species that can transmit pathogen bacteria . Body lice are vectors of Rickettsia   prowazekii which is responsible for epidemic typhus. There are no reports till today regarding transmission of rickettsial diseases by lice from great apes or New World monkeys to humans, or vice versa. Dogs can also carrier of sucking louse ( Linognathus setosus ) and ( Trichodectes c anis  and  Heterodoxus spiniger ). It may cause pruritus , alopesia , papules, crusts and secondary bacterial infestation of dermatitis.

6. Plague DISEASE 2 Plague is a disease caused by the bacterium  Yersinia pestis . It occurs primarily in wild animals, such as rats and other rodents. Plague bacteria are transmitted by fleas, and humans may be infected by fleas that have fed on infected animals. In the past, plague was called the black death and caused disastrous epidemics. Ref : WHO

7. Cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis ( Bouche 1835) Order : Siphonaptera Bengali name : Panchkamri flea Flightless minute insects (< 3mm) that survive as external parasite of mammals and birds. It live by consuming blood ( ie haematophage ) from their hosts. Adult fleas have piercing and sucking mouthparts that allow them to feed on the blood of their host . Although many of them are host specifc . Some are not host specific and can feed on other animals if their preferred host is unavailable. Host ranges for individual flea species can vary from 1 to over 35 species. Size : < 1 mm Greek ” siphon” means hollow tube and “ pteron ” means wingless (fleas are wingless and have tube-like mouthparts)

8. The Rabbit Flea spreads a myxomatosis virus pathogen within rabbit populations and the Oriental Rat Flea is the primary vector of  Yersinia (= Pasturella ) pestis , the bacterial pathogen for bubonic plague. Fleas transmit pathogens that cause disease in humans and other animals. The Cat Flea and Dog Flea are intermediate hosts for a tapeworm that infects dogs, cats and humans.

9. My pusi -cat ( Name : Chao and tiger) can carry this flea and spread it inside my home. Some time this fleas are attacked us especially my younger son because his body temperature somewhat higher than me. Few years ago a pair of Indian civet also made shelter on the roof corner of my house and affected us seriously. Bio-control of cat flea: I had made control that fleas with the help my domestic cats. When my cat visited my home most of that adult fleas attacked it and I washed my domestic cats outside my home. Finally I sanitized my floors and corners of rooms with chemicals to kill its larva .

10. Skin burn DISEASE 3

11. Rove Beetle, Paederus   fuscipes  Curtis Order : Coleoptera , Family : Staphylinidae   It is reported to be a predator of small insect pest at paddy field. It may secrete the toxin paederin (hence Paederous dermatitis ) that causes burns on human skin whenever they are crushed. @

12. Rove Beetle Order : Coleoptera , Family : Staphylinidae   The Rove beetle that is increasingly common in Asia but I had noticed it during November to December at Cooch Behar Rashmela ground. It burns on human skin especially face and neck area at night. Interestingly the beetles were used to burn off warts in the past. It starts off with some erythema /redness and then with patches of ulceration where the beetle has been crushed. Paederus   fuscipes Staphylinus fossator @

13. Food poisoning & allergic disease 4

14. American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (Linn.1758) Order : Blattodea Bengali Name : Arsola Among all common cockroaches, the American cockroach has the largest body size; molts 6–14 times (mostly 13 times) before metamorphosis; and has the longest lifecycle, up to about 700 days. The insect can travel quickly, often darting out of sight when a threat is perceived, and can fit into small cracks and under doors despite its fairly large size. It is considered one of the fastest running insects @

15. Other species of cochroaches German cockroach, Blattella germanica Order : Blattodea , Bengali Name : German arsola  The German cockroach is an intermediate host  of acanthocephalan  parasite namely Moniliformis kalahariensis . @

16. Other species of cochroaches Oriental cockroach  ( Blatta orientalis ), Order : Blattodea , Bengali Name : Kalo arsola   Neither the male nor female is capable of flight. They can be found throughout the United States, as well as in England, Europe, Israel, Australia and South America. Oriental cockroaches can be a source for many food-borne pathogens, including  E.coli ,  Salmonella  spp., and other pathogens. American Cockroaches (left), German cockroach, Brown-Banded cockroach, Oriental cockroach (right)

17. Cockroach The odorous secretions produced by American cockroaches can pick up disease-causing bacteria, such as salmonella which may transmit on foods and cause food poisoning or infection if they walk on the food. House dust containing cockroach feces and body parts can trigger allergic reactions and asthma in certain individuals. Cockroach populations may be controlled through the use of safe insecticides. Spiders, domestic dog, domestic cat also kill it. @

18. Cockroaches can transmit the following diseases : 1. Salmonellosis 2. Typhoid Fever 3. Cholera 4. Dysentery 5. Leprosy 6. Plague 7. Campylobacteriosis 8. Listeriosis Cockroaches can also trigger asthma and other allergies as well as spread  E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus  and Streptococcus . @

19. MOSQUITO born disease 5 West Nile virus and St Louis encephalitis virus come from the genera Culex . Chikungunya , dengue and yellow fever are carried by Aedes . Zika is spread by Aedes agypti or Aedes albopictus . Malaria is transmitted by species of the Anoph eles There are over 3,000 species worldwide, and approximately 200 are important medically. Most species of mosquito don't even pierce and suck humans, some prefer amphibians, birds, reptiles. horses, cows, cats, dogs etc .

20. Maleria DISEASE 6 Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world. Their ability to carry and spread disease to humans causes millions of deaths every year. They can caused   Malaria, Lymphatic filaraiasis (elephantiasis), Yellow fever, West Nile fever, Dengue fever, Chikunguny , Zika fever, Ross River fever, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Japanese Encephalitis, La Crosse Encephalitis, St. Louis Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis. Most common endophilic mosquito species recorded from North Bengal were Anopheles   minimus , An. varuna , An. maculatus , An. fluviatilis , An. vagus , An. culicifacies , An. hyrcanus , An. Barbirostris .

21. Anopheles ( Cellia ) culicifacies  Giles 1901   Order : Diptera Family : Culicidae It is widely distributed in India and has been recorded in all mainland zones except islands of except parts of Odisha , Northeastern States of India, North Bengal and Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep. It is also the vector of tribal malaria presently characterized to be a species complex with 5 or more sibling species viz. A, B, C, D and E.

22. Piercing and sucking mouthparts of female Anopheles Mosquitoes attack mainly at night but s ome species namely Culex tend to attack after dusk, Aedes aegypti , bite by day, some species pierce at dusk and dawn. There are six major mosquito vector taxa in India,  viz .  Anopheles culicifacies ,  An. fluviatilis ,   An. stephensi ,  An. minimus ,   An. dirus  and  An. sundaicus . Among these.   An. culicifacies  is widely distributed and considered the most important vector throughout the plains and forests of India for generating bulk of malaria cases (>60% annually).  @

23. Fileria DISEASE 7 Most common fileria mosquitos are Culex quinquefasciatus , C. vishnui (group ) in Noth Bengal. Few other mosquitos recorded in North Bengal are Mansonia indiana , M. annulifera , Armigeres subalbatus  and  Toxorhynchites splendens .

24. Culex Mosquitoes Order : Diptera Family : Culicidae There are over 1,000 species of Culex mosquitoes in the world. Out of these species only twenty species are known to feed on human blood and cause lymphatic filariasis . Among Culex genera, a few are capable of transmitting diseases such as West Nile Virus (WNV) and Japanese encephalitis .  There are atleast 8 species of filarial parasites that are specific to man. They are Wuchereria bancrofti , Brugia malayi , Brugia timori , Onchocerca volvulus , Loa loa , T perstans , T streptocerca , Mansonella ozzardi . Out of these, the first 3 cause lymphatic filariasis . In India, Culex quinquefasciatus - vector for Bancroftian filariasis ; M ansonia spp are vector for Brugian filariasis ; Culex breeds in polluted water. Mansonia is associated with certain aquatic plants (such as Pistia stratiotes ).

25. Dengue DISEASE 8 The worldwide incidence of dengue has risen 30 times more in past three decades. and more countries are reporting their first outbreaks of the disease. Zika , dengue, chikungunya , and yellow fever are all transmitted to humans by the  Aedes aegypti  mosquito. Most common dengue mosquito species recorded from North Bengal were Aedes aegypti and Ae . Albopictus .

26. Yellow Fever Mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti (Linn .) Order : Diptera Family : Culicidae The bite from a yellow fever or  Aedes aegypti   mosquito can result in an itchy, raised bump on the skin. More concerning, though, is that this type of mosquito is a vector of numerous diseases, including dengue fever and chikungunya .   Aedes aegypti  mosquitoes have most recently been implicated in the global spread of zika virus.

27. Asian Tiger Mosquitoes, Aedes albopictu Order : Diptera Family : Culicidae Asian tiger mosquitoes also known as forest mosquitoes, are an exotic species that get their "tiger" name from the single white stripe down the center of their head and back. Originally from Southeast Asia, this daytime-biting insect can transmit harmful diseases like Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya and dengue fever. Read on to learn more Asian tiger mosquito facts and prevention.

28. Conventional Mosquito repellent Most commercial repellents contain DEET (Diethyl-meta- toluamide ) as their main insect repelling ingredient. DEET works by blocking the receptors on their antennae that allow them to hone in on human beings. Another bio-product is Avon Skin-So-Soft (ASSS). Its formula contains plant picaridin compound (a chemical that resembles the natural compound found in the plants used to produce black pepper ) + IR3535 (a chemical of the naturally occurring amino acid B- alanine ). But it needs to be applied every 20 minutes or less.

29. Bio-control of agent : 9

30. Elephant mosquitoes, Toxorhynchites splendens Order : Diptera Family : Culicidae Bengali name : Hathi Mosha This species of mosquitoes, which are biologically called as Toxorhynchites , can decrease the number of dengue-causing mosquito' survives by living on the larvae of ' Aedes mosquito.The Elephant mosquitoes are already in use in countries like Thailand and Singapore to curb the rising menace of dengue.

31. kala-azar ( Viceral Leishmaniasis ) disease 9 In India , Nepal, and Bangladesh Kala azar is transmitted by the sand flies of the species  Phlebotomus argentipes and P. chinensis .

32. Sand fly, Phlebotomus argentipes Order : Diptera Family : Psychodidae Subfamily:Phlebotominae The female sand fly carries the  Leishmania  protozoa from infected animals after feeding, thus transmitting the disease. The parasite Leishmania donovani  is the main causative agent of Viceral Leishmaniasis ( kala-azar ) in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh where it is transmitted by the sand flies of the species  Phlebotomus argentipes and P. chinensis . However, the subfamily of Phlebotominae  does feed on blood with the ability to transmit tropical diseases and Sycorax silacea  can transmit microfilaria. Inhalation of insect fragments may cause respiratory asthma .

33. Itchy welts & allergic disease 10

34. BED BUG, Cimex lectularius Linn. 1758   Order : Hemiptera Family : Cimicidae   Although bed bugs can dine on many warm-blooded animals, they primarily feed on humans. Because their bites are nearly painless, humans usually don’t notice or wake up when bitten. Bed bugs usually do not transmit disease, but their bites can cause red, itchy welts. These bites do not need professional treatment, and people who experience severe itching usually can find relief with topical steroid creams.  

35. Scarabiasis disease 11

36. Dung beetle, Coprophagous sp Order : Coleoptera Family. Scarabiaediae Scarabiasis or Canthariasis or Beetle disease is an beetle- dipteran ectoparasitic infection of the gastrointestinal tract. in which insects temporarily infest the digestive tract and rarely the urinary tract. Children during playing outdoors naked would have come into contact with the eggs or grubs of parasitized beetle. It is very rare but this disease had reported from India including Bengal. Drugs like Metronindazole or Jolap or saline water help to kill the grub/larvae of the beetle.  Dipteran parasitoid (female Oriental latrine fly, Chrysomya megacepphala ) feeds on Coprophagus beetle. Both beetle and parasitoid cause scarabiasis disease in human .

37. Asthma disease 12 Indian Tick Typhus(ITT) In India ITT, recognized as early as in 1917, is known as a type of rickettsial spotted fever similar to rocky mountain spotted fever (RMSF) and is caused by Rickettsia conorii . The disease is also known as Boutonnese fever and the clinical symptoms include fever, headache and malaise lasting for 10–12 days with the appearance of maculopapular rash from 2nd to 5th day of infection

38. House Dust Mites, Dermatophagoides farinae Class : Arachnida Family : Polyglyphidae . Mites are not insect but arachnids, just like spider and tick. It is not small but minute in size (< 1 mm in length). Some parasitic mites attack animal hosts, while others reside within the respiratory tracts of their hosts. A few types of mites, such as chiggers, can also transfer diseases to humans. Visit our pest guides below to learn how to identify and get rid of mites . People may be allergic to house dust mite cast skins and droppings. These reactions will not be a rash type of reaction but rather a respiratory constriction, a common symptom of asthma. Itchy, watery eyes may also be symptoms. Approximately 50-80% of asthmatics may have symptoms due to house dust mites. In India two species namely Dermatophagoides   fe rinae  and  D. pteronyssinus are caused perennial respiratory allergic diseases .

39. Indian Tick Typhus(ITT) disease 13 Indian Tick Typhus(ITT) In India ITT, recognized as early as in 1917, is known as a type of rickettsial spotted fever similar to rocky mountain spotted fever (RMSF) and is caused by Rickettsia conorii . The disease is also known as Boutonnese fever and the clinical symptoms include fever, headache and malaise lasting for 10–12 days with the appearance of maculopapular rash from 2nd to 5th day of infection

40. TICK Class : Arachnida Subclass : Acari Order : Ixodida Superfamily : Ixodoidea Ticks, as vectors of several zoonotic diseases, are ranked second only to mosquitoes as vectors. A number of lethal tick species are vector of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), Kyasanur forest disease virus (KFDV), Theileria , Rickettsia conorii , Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Babesiosis , Ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis and Lyme disease. They can also be found in the den or nests of common hosts, such as skunks, raccoons, opossums, and rodents especially white-footed mouse.

41. Dedicated to U.G. & P.G. students of UBKV, Cooch Behar, NBMC, Siliguri , Darjeeling & SCB Govt. Medical College, Cuttack