Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Parasitology
Fleas
Fleas are one of the more common parasites found on new patents at Greenwood. This sectioin covers flea ID, life cycle, transmittable zoonoses, and treatment.
Lice
Lice are a wingless parasite with over 3,000 species. This section covers lice life cycle, differentiating between chewing lice and sucking lice, symptoms, and treatment.
Mites
Mites affect both mammals and avians and are a member of Arachnidae. This section covers their life history, symptoms, and treatment.
Ticks
Another arachnid, ticks have 8 legs and 2 body parts. They can pass on many diseases. This section covers tick life history, diseases, and treatment.
Flat Flies
Flat flies are obligate sanguinivores (blood "eaters") common on wildlife. This section covers their unique life history and treatment.
Carnid Fly
These common flies are also sanguinivores. This section covers their life history and treatment.
Quiz
This quiz is 7 questions long and covers information from the fleas, lice, mites, ticks, flat flies, and carnid flies lessons.
Flea Zoonoses
Zoonosis risk: High. PPE necessary.
Tapeworms
Transmission: Larva feed on tapeworm eggs before being eaten by the host. Animal handler may also accidentally consume flea larvae containing tapeworm eggs and become infected.
Bubonic plague
Transmission: When plague bacteria is ingested by a flea, its gut can get blocked by the bacteria in the infected blood. It then bites a new animal and regurgitates the bacteria into the wound.
Murine Typhus
Transmission: The disease is passed through fecal matter from an infected animal to a new host’s blood stream.
Cat Scratch Fever
Transmission: A flea feeds on an infected animal then bites a new host and spreads the bacteria in the blood stream.
For more information on these diseases, please see your Zoonoses in Wildlife Rehabilitation handout you received during orientation.
P.O. Box 18987
Boulder, Colorado, 80308
Phone: (303) 823-8455
If you have a wildlife EMERGENCY, or a question about a wild animal, please call (303) 823-8455
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