insect and related critter allergies

What’s bugging you?Insect (and related critter) allergies

Nathan Hare MDNovember 17, 2010

What are insects? Related critters that cause allergy

Dust mites What is an allergy? Why do we react? Examples of allergic disease

Asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, hives and swelling, anaphylaxis

Immediate vs. Delayed reactions Mechanism of exposure – inhalation vs

bite vs sting Local reactions

Irritant vs allergic Systemic reactions

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/slideshow-bad-bugs

What is an Allergy?

The immune system reacts to something harmless (allergen)

It thinks that the allergen is dangerous

Symptoms are caused by the immune system trying to defend the body

“Hypersensitivity”

Routes of Allergen Exposure

Contact / touch

Breathing

Eating

Injection

Types of Allergic Reactions

Immediate

Delayed

Contact Allergens

Immediate Delayed

http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/toxra.htm

Inhaled Allergens

Immediate

www.doctorfungus.org

Cat Dander, Nat’nl Geographic, May 2006

Ingested Allergens

Immediate Delayed

Injected Allergens

Immediate

http://insectbitespictures.com/bee-sting-pictures.php

What is an insect?

“an organism with three pairs of legs and three body region– head, thorax, and abdomen.”

It has 6 legs

It has “a pair of antennae and external mouthparts.”

http://insects.about.com/od/insects101/p/whatisaninsect.htm

Identifying Insects

http://insects.about.com/od/insects101/ss/howtoidaninsect.htm

Insects

http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/

What is an Arachnid?

They have “two distinct regions, the cephalothorax and the abdomen.”

They have 8 legs.

They “lack wings and antennae.”

http://insects.about.com/od/noninsectarthropods/p/arachnida.htm

Arachnids

quickcare.org/skin/lice.html

http://www.realbollywood.com/news/2010/

http://fireflyforest.net/firefly/2006/11/13/fluorescent-scorpion-in-uv-light/

Routes of Allergen Exposure

Contact / touch

Breathing

Eating

Injection

Bites

Mosqitoes Black Flies Chiggers Scabies Bed bugs Ticks Fleas Multicolored Asian Ladybeetles

Ticks

http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/insectid/insect_info.php?25

Mosquitos

Black Flies

http://www.ento.okstate.edu/ddd/insects/blackflies.htm

Fleas

Photo: World Health Organization http://insects.about.com/od/fleas/p/char_siphonapte.htm

Chiggers

Dr. W. Calvin Webourn and the Ohio State University Acarology Laboratoryhttp://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/avoid-outdoor-pests/chiggers

Bedbugs

http://urbanentomology.tamu.edu/bedbugs/bedbugs.cfm

Bedbugs

http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/insectid/insect_info.php?20

http://www.bedbugsremovalguide.com/bed-bug-bites.html

Bedbugs

http://urbanentomology.tamu.edu/bedbugs/bedbugs.cfm

Leverkus et al 2006

Fletcher et al. 2002

Bedbugs

No reaction Hives or swelling

Air-born Exposure / Inhalation

Cockroaches Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles Dust mites

Cockroaches

Main insect allergy Inner city asthma German and American cockroaches Allergens become airborne on particles

http://pested.unl.edu/comproa.jpg

Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles

http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/insectid/insect_info.php?65

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2005/aug/072503.htm

Dust Mites (Acaridae)

0.3 mm long 8 legs Sightless Live on skin scales Entirely dependant on

ambient humidity for their moisture

Optimum growth at 65-80oF

Mite fecal pellet Source of allergens 10-35 μm

Dermatophygoides farinae

D. pteronyssinus D. microceras Blomia tropicalis

Florida in the US

D. farinaeNat’nl GeographicMay 2006

Stings

Honeybees Wasps Yellow jackets / hornets Fireants Caterpillars

Photograph by Raul Touzon

Ladybugs

Yellow Jackets

http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/insectid/insect_info.php?24

Bumblebee

http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/insectid/insect_info.php?409

Honeybee

(Jim Kalisch, UNL Entomology)

Paperwasp

http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/insectid/insect_info.php?418

Photo by S. Porter., http://fireant.tamu.edu/materials/multimedia_photos/

Fire Ants

Texas Department of Agriculture file photo., http://fireant.tamu.edu/materials/multimedia_photos/

Fire Ants

Texas Department of Agriculture file photos., http://fireant.tamu.edu/materials/multimedia_photos/

Fire Ants

Caterpillars

R. Bessin, Univ. of Kentuckyhttp://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef003.asp