Vectorborne & Zoonotic Diseases – Key Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering essential terms, vectors, diseases, and control concepts from the Vectorborne & Zoonotic Diseases lecture notes.

Zoonoses

Diseases that are naturally transmitted from non-human animals to humans.

Reservoir

The habitat (human, animal, or environment) in which an infectious agent normally lives, grows, and multiplies.

Host

Any susceptible organism that can be invaded by an infectious agent.

Intermediary Host

An organism that harbors a pathogen for a short period before it reaches its definitive host.

Vector

Any living agent, often an arthropod, that carries and transfers a pathogen to another organism.

Symbiosis

A relationship in which two organisms live in close association, which may be beneficial to one or both.

Parasite

An organism that lives on or in a host organism and causes it harm.

Delusional Parasitosis

A psychiatric condition in which a person believes they are infested with living or non-living pathogens.

Epidemiological Triangle

A model describing disease causation with three components: agent, host, and environment.

Biological Transmission

Pathogen spends part of its life cycle in the vector, multiplying before being transmitted (e.g., malaria in mosquitoes).

Mechanical Transmission

Pathogen is physically carried on body parts of the vector without development inside the vector (e.g., flies spreading bacteria).

Arboviral Encephalitis

Inflammation of the brain caused by arthropod-borne viruses such as West Nile virus.

West Nile Virus

A flavivirus transmitted primarily by Culex mosquitoes that can cause fever or encephalitis.

Bubonic Plague

Form of plague caused by Yersinia pestis, characterized by swollen lymph nodes; transmitted mainly by rodent fleas.

Septicemic Plague

Plague infection of the bloodstream caused by Yersinia pestis; can arise from untreated bubonic plague.

Pneumonic Plague

Severe lung infection with Yersinia pestis, transmissible person-to-person via respiratory droplets.

Chagas Disease

American trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and spread by kissing bugs (Triatominae).

Schistosomiasis

Parasitic flatworm infection acquired through skin contact with freshwater containing cercariae from snails.

Lyme Disease

Tick-borne infection by Borrelia burgdorferi causing erythema migrans and multi-system symptoms.

Malaria

Mosquito-borne disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Rickettsia rickettsii infection transmitted by ticks, leading to fever and spotted rash.

Tularemia

Bacterial disease caused by Francisella tularensis; spread by deer flies, ticks, or contact with infected animals.

Typhus

Group of rickettsial fevers transmitted by lice, fleas, or chiggers; includes epidemic, endemic (murine), and scrub typhus.

Epidemic Typhus

Severe typhus caused by Rickettsia prowazekii and spread by body lice.

Murine (Endemic) Typhus

Milder typhus caused by Rickettsia typhi (or R. felis) transmitted by fleas from rats and other rodents.

Yellow Fever

Acute viral hemorrhagic disease caused by a flavivirus and transmitted by Aedes or Haemagogus mosquitoes.

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome

Severe respiratory disease caused by hantaviruses spread mainly via aerosolized rodent excreta.

Histoplasmosis

Fungal lung infection from inhaling Histoplasma capsulatum spores in soil or bird/bat droppings.

Leptospirosis

Bacterial zoonosis caused by Leptospira species, acquired through contact with water or soil contaminated by animal urine.

Psittacosis

Parrot fever in humans caused by Chlamydia psittaci, transmitted from infected birds.

Rabies

Almost invariably fatal viral encephalitis transmitted through saliva of infected mammals, especially bats and skunks in CA.

Head Louse

Pediculus humanus capitis; small wingless insect causing scalp infestation, spread by head-to-head contact.

Body Louse

Pediculus humanus corporis; lives in clothing seams, can transmit epidemic typhus.

Pubic Louse

Pthirus pubis (‘crab’ louse); infests pubic and coarse body hair.

Bed Bug

Cimex lectularius; nocturnal blood-feeding insect, nuisance pest not known to transmit disease.

House Fly

Musca domestica; common synanthropic fly that can mechanically spread pathogens.

Lesser House Fly

Fannia canicularis; spring species often seen indoors, breeds in organic matter.

Myiasis

Infestation of live human or animal tissue by fly larvae (e.g., botflies).

Order Hymenoptera

Order of insects including wasps, bees, and ants; many species can sting.

Flea

Small wingless blood-sucking insect; vectors of plague (Yersinia pestis) and murine typhus (Rickettsia typhi).

Order Siphonaptera

Taxonomic order comprising all flea species.

Ixodidae

Family of hard ticks characterized by slow feeding and a dorsal scutum.

Argasidae

Family of soft ticks noted for rapid feeding and lack of a dorsal scutum.

Ixodes pacificus

Western black-legged tick; principal vector of Lyme disease in California.

Aedes aegypti

Domestic mosquito species, daytime biter, vector of dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya viruses.

Aedes albopictus

Asian tiger mosquito; aggressive daytime biter and potential vector of several arboviruses.

Culex pipiens

Northern house mosquito; key vector of West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis in the U.S.

Culex tarsalis

Mosquito species transmitting West Nile, St. Louis encephalitis, and Western equine encephalomyelitis.

Anopheles Mosquito

Genus of mosquitoes that transmit human malaria; rest at a 45° angle to surfaces.

Mosquito Life Cycle

Four stages: egg, larva, pupa, adult; aquatic immature stages, flying adult stage.

Larvicide

Pesticide specifically targeting mosquito (or other insect) larvae.

Juvenile Hormone (JH) Analog

Growth regulator used to disrupt insect development and prevent maturation.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Strategy combining monitoring, prevention, sanitation, exclusion, and minimal pesticide use to control pests.

Five Steps of IPM

Inspection, Identification, Threshold setting, Multiple control measures, Evaluation.

Norway Rat

Rattus norvegicus; large burrowing rat, coarse brown fur, blunt nose, capsule-shaped droppings.

Roof Rat

Rattus rattus; slender arboreal rat, tail longer than body, pointed nose, medium droppings.

House Mouse

Mus musculus; small agile rodent, brown-gray, small droppings up to ¼ inch.

American Cockroach

Periplaneta americana; large reddish-brown roach preferring warm damp sites like sewers.

German Cockroach

Blattella germanica; most common indoor roach, light brown with two dark stripes behind the head.

Brownbanded Cockroach

Supella longipalpa; small light-brown roach with two pale bands across wings; prefers warm, dry areas.

Oriental Cockroach

Blatta orientalis; dark-colored roach favoring cool damp sites like basements and sewers.

Acaricide

Pesticide formulated to kill mites and ticks.

Rodent-Borne Disease

Any infectious disease primarily maintained or transmitted by rodents (e.g., hantavirus, leptospirosis).

Tick

Blood-feeding arachnid that can transmit pathogens such as Borrelia, Rickettsia, and Babesia.

Western Black-Legged Tick

Common name for Ixodes pacificus, vector of Lyme disease in the western U.S.

Vector Control Technician Certification

California state program certifying government employees in public-health vector control.

CDC Light Trap

Battery-powered trap using light and CO₂ to collect adult mosquitoes for surveillance.

Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti)

Bacterial larvicide producing toxins specific to mosquito and blackfly larvae.

Bacillus sphaericus

Bacterial larvicide effective against Culex larvae; used in biological mosquito control.

Monomolecular Film

Thin surface oil layer that reduces water tension, drowning mosquito larvae and pupae.

Stagnant Water

Standing water that serves as prime breeding habitat for many mosquito species.