A number of species are considered medically important because they can cause annoyance, physical discomfort, or disease in humans.
some medically important arthropods
Insects
-are a class of invertebrates within the arthropod phylum that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes and one pair of antennae-
Scientific name: Musca domestica
Common name: Housefly
Diseases: Dysentery,Cholera, Typhoid, Amoebiasis
Common name: Housefly
Diseases: Dysentery,Cholera, Typhoid, Amoebiasis
Scientific name: Simuliidae
Common name: Black fly
Diseases: Onchocerciasis, or "river blindness"
Common name: Black fly
Diseases: Onchocerciasis, or "river blindness"
Scientific name: Culicidae
Common name: Mosquito
Diseases: dengue fever and malaria
Common name: Mosquito
Diseases: dengue fever and malaria
Scientific name: Blattaria or Blattodea
Common name: Cockroach
Diseases: Amoebiasis , Typhoid fever
Common name: Cockroach
Diseases: Amoebiasis , Typhoid fever
arachnids
- have eight legs, although the front pair of legs in some species has converted to a sensory function, while in other species, different appendages can grow large enough to take on the appearance of extra pairs of legs-
Scientific name: Araneae
Common name: Spider
Diseases: Allergic reactions, death
Common name: Spider
Diseases: Allergic reactions, death
Scientific name: Acarina
Common name: Mites
Diseases: Scabies
Common name: Mites
Diseases: Scabies
Scientific name: Scorpiones
Common name: Scorpion
Diseases: Paralysys and Death
Common name: Scorpion
Diseases: Paralysys and Death
myriapoda
-the name suggests they have myriad (10,000) legs, myriapods range from having over 750 legs (Illacme plenipes) to having fewer than ten legs-
Scientific name: Diplopoda
Common name: Millipede
Diseases: local erythema, edema, blisters, eczema
Common name: Millipede
Diseases: local erythema, edema, blisters, eczema
Scientific name: Chilopoda
Common name: Centipede
Diseases: Blisters, Swelling
Common name: Centipede
Diseases: Blisters, Swelling
crustaceans
-the body of a crustacean is composed of body segments, which are grouped into three regions: the cephalon or head, the thorax, and the pleon or abdomen-
Scientific name: Pthirus pubis
Common name: Crab louse
Diseases: Itching
Common name: Crab louse
Diseases: Itching
harmful arthropods categories
• Harmful cause nuisance, discomfort, and/or blood-loss by their bites (mosquitos, bugs, fleas); or cause nuisance by their mere presence (gnats).
• Ectoparasites live and feed permanently on the exterior of the host without transmitting germs (head lice, pubic lice, scabies mites).
• Mechanical transporters transmit disease passively, by picking up infections from faeces, and then contaminating human food so that disease is contracted orally (flies cockroaches).
• Disease vectors actively transmit parasitic disease-causing organisms. The pathogen develops and multiplies in the vector, and is transmitted to humans via the arthropod’s bite or excreta (mosquitos, tsetse-flies, body lice, fleas).
• Ectoparasites live and feed permanently on the exterior of the host without transmitting germs (head lice, pubic lice, scabies mites).
• Mechanical transporters transmit disease passively, by picking up infections from faeces, and then contaminating human food so that disease is contracted orally (flies cockroaches).
• Disease vectors actively transmit parasitic disease-causing organisms. The pathogen develops and multiplies in the vector, and is transmitted to humans via the arthropod’s bite or excreta (mosquitos, tsetse-flies, body lice, fleas).
- Arthropods as allergens Stinging insects and other venomous arthropods can give rise to severe reactions in hypersensitive individuals, and anaphylactic reactions need immediate treatment with adrenaline (epinephrine).
- Intermediate hosts A wide variety of arthropods act as obligatory hosts in the transmission of viral, bacterial, protozoa and helminthic agents of human disease.
- Envenomation Many arthropods are capable of injecting saliva or venom with their bites or stings. For most individuals, these compounds cause only local tissue reactions, but serious, life-threatening reactions such as anaphylaxis may occur, often as a result of previous sensitization to the particular toxin. Hymenopteran (ants, bees, and wasps) and scorpion stings are among the greatest offenders. The bites of certain arthropods, especially centipedes; mosquitoes, flies, and biting midges; bedbugs, kissing bugs, and assassin bugs; sucking lice; fleas; and ticks and mites may also be toxic, causing local or systemic reactions. Almost all spiders are venomous, but only a few groups (widow spiders, violin spiders, and certain tarantulas)