Ectoparasites

Ectoparasites

1. External body, live on skin, hair.

   • Opportunistic

2. Fleas

   • Small, wingless, compressed
   • Blood suckers
   • Ctenocephalides canis
     • Dog flea
       • Itching
       • Eggs can remain in carpets, bedding etc

3. Ticks

   • Arthropoda
     • 8 legs, no segmentation
   • Hard + soft ticks
   • Ixodid Tick
     • Ixodes holocyclus (paralysis tick)
       • East Coast of Australia
       • Saliva has paralysis reaction in humans and animals
         • Vector for some diseases
   • Impacts of ticks on host
     • Direct - Anaemia, paralysis, allergies, feeling unwell
     • Indirect - Q fever, tick fever, Bartonella spp.

4. Lice

   • Sucking lice (blood)
   • Biting lice (skin, feathers, scales)
   • Sheep louse
     • Live on wool debris
     • Unshorn sheep most favourable
     • Affects wool quality and sheep condition

5. Mites

   • Arthropoda
     • 8 legs, no segment
       • 3 nymphal stages
   • Most successful and diverse of all invertebrates
   • Opportunistic and problematic
   • Live in variety of habitats
   • Bird mites
     • Feed off blood
     • Pigeons, sparrows, starlings, poultry
   • Dog Ear Mites
     • Feed on ear wax
       • Can lead to allergies
         • Can lead to bad odor, increased scratching
     • Humid area

6. Fly strike

   • Fly larvae infection
   • Fly lay eggs in open wounds