DISEASES TRANSMITTED BY INSECTS AND TICKS

DISEASES TRANSMITTED BY INSECTS AND TICKS

 

1. MOSQUITOES

·       They transmit certain specific diseases according to the specific species, climate and habitat: malaria, chikungunya virus, dengue fever, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis are a few common ones.

·       Their flight can be more or less noisy; their bite is not always painful. Half of all mosquito bites occur through clothing.

 

Diseases transmitted by Mosquitoes

MALARIA

·       This disease is caused by a unicellular blood-dwelling parasite of the genus Plasmodium, transmitted by a female Anopheles mosquito.

 

CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS

·       This is a viral disease caused by an Alphavirus, the main reservoir of which consists of monkeys and other vertebrates including humans.

·       The transmission to humans occurs as a result of the bite of the mosquito.

 

DENGUE FEVER

·       Dengue Fever is a viral disease caused by a Flavivirus.

·       It is transmitted by the bite of a mosquito, which reproduces in stagnant water locations around habitations.

·       The treatment is purely symptomatic. 

 

YELLOW FEVER

·       Yellow fever is a viral fever caused by a Flavivirus.

·       It is transmitted by the bite of a mosquito.

·       The natural host of the virus is a particular species of monkey living in forest regions. The virus can be transmitted, accidentally, to human communities.

·       The disease is absent from Asia, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

·       It is currently highly present in Africa.

·       The treatment is purely symptomatic.

·       There is a vaccination that is very effective. This vaccination is compulsory for travellers visiting countries where the disease is likely to exist.

 

WEST NILE DISEASE

·       It is an infection caused by a Flavivirus: the West Nile virus.

·       The vector is a mosquito of the Culex genus.

·       The reservoir of the virus consists of birds.

·       The treatment is symptomatic.

·       Vaccine trials are underway.

 

JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS

·       Japanese encephalitis (JE) is caused by a Flavivirus.

·       It is transmitted to humans via the bite of a mosquito of the Culex genus.

·       The reservoir of the virus consists of wild aquatic animals and pigs, from which the disease can spread to humans in rural areas.

·       The treatment is symptomatic.

·       There is a preventive vaccination.

 

2. BED BUGS

·       They live in the walls of damp houses and are only active at night.

·       On the South American continent, bed bugs transmit Chagas disease.

 

3. LICE, FLEAS

·       Lice transmit different bacterial infections

·       Rat fleas are a vector for the plague.

 

4. TICKS

·       They are the vector for numerous diseases.

·       Tick bites result from contact with grassland.

·    Once the ticks are on the skin, they migrate towards the major skin folds (armpits) where they implant themselves. They do not begin to feed until 12 to 24 hours have passed and so the risk of infection is low if they are quickly removed.

·    Besides the transmission of various diseases, a tick bite can be the cause of a local inflammation reaction.

 

 Diseases transmitted by ticks and fly

SLEEPING SICKNESS

·       Human African typanosomiasis or sleeping sickness is a parasite disease caused by the Trypanosoma protozoa (unicellular blood-dwelling parasites).

·       It is transmitted by the bite of a fly: Glossina or tsetse fly.

·       It is found only in Africa.

·       The disease affects rural populations and the risk to travelers is limited.

·       The disease is treated with anti-parasite drugs and is very effective.

 

LYME DISEASE

·       Lyme disease is an infection caused by a bacteria and transmitted by the bite of a tick.

·       The disease is found in the northern hemisphere, in America and in Eurasia during the active phase of the ticks, between May and October.

·       The disease begins with a red skin lesion centred around the tick bite that gradually spreads out.

·       The treatment relies on antibiotics.

 

TICK-BORNE SPOTTED FEVERS

·       The tick-borne spotted fevers are diseases caused by bacteria.

·       They are transmitted by tick bites.

·       The spotted fever is found in Europe, on the North American continent and in some areas of Africa.

·       The severe forms are treated with antibiotics.