Ectoparasites

Background

• A taxonomically diverse group of organisms that infest the superficial skin of human beings (and other animals).
• Refers to pathogens such as ticks, fleas, lice, parasitic flies and mites that attach or burrow into the skin and remain there for a relatively long period of time (2) (not classically blood-sucking arthropods, such as mosquitoes)

Identification

• Arthropods
  • Insects (3 distinct body parts: head, thorax, and abdomen; head has 2 antennae; thorax has 6 legs; many also have 2 pairs of wings)
    • Fleas
    • Flies
    • Lice
  • Arachnids (2 body parts: prosoma and opisthosoma; 8 legs; do NOT have wings or antennae)
    • Ticks
    • Mites (e.g. scabies)

Differential Diagnosis

Domestic U.S. Ectoparasites

• Bed bugs
• Lice
• Scabies (Mites)
• Ticks
• Fleas
• Pseudoparasites
• Delusional parasitosis (Ekbom syndrome)

See also travel-related skin conditions

Ectoparasite & Related Images

• 

  Bed bug

• 

  Myiasis

• 

  Scabies

• 

  Ixodes tick

• 

  Lice

• 

  Fleas

• 

  Pseudoparasites

See Also

• Parasites

External Links

• https://parasite.org.au/para-site/contents/arthropod-intoduction.html