Environmental & Public Health Flashcards

A public health entomologist is evaluating a neighborhood with high rates of Lyme disease. Which landscape feature should be prioritized for tick management?

Answer: Leaf litter accumulation at forest-lawn interfaces

Leaf litter at forest-lawn edges provides the moist, shaded microhabitat that Ixodes scapularis nymphs require for survival.

Which factor makes Culex quinquefasciatus a significant public health concern in urban areas of the southern United States?

Answer: It serves as the primary vector of West Nile virus and breeds in polluted water

Culex quinquefasciatus is the primary urban West Nile virus vector and thrives in stagnant, nutrient-rich water common in cities.

What is the significance of the 'synanthropic' classification for certain fly species in public health entomology?

Answer: They live in close association with humans and can transmit pathogens

Synanthropic flies like house flies live near human habitation, feed on waste and food, and mechanically transmit enteric pathogens.

An entomologist discovers high densities of Simulium (black fly) larvae in a fast-flowing river. What is the most likely public health concern in this region?

Answer: Onchocerciasis (river blindness) risk, particularly in endemic regions

Black flies of the genus Simulium are the primary vectors of Onchocerca volvulus, which causes river blindness in endemic tropical areas.

Which method is used to determine whether a pesticide application near a sensitive ecosystem complies with the Endangered Species Act?

Answer: Pesticide use limitation consultation via EPA's ESA pesticide workplan

The EPA's ESA workplan establishes mitigation measures to protect listed species and their critical habitats from pesticide exposure.

A vector control district is considering using Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) for mosquito control. What is the primary environmental advantage of this approach?

Answer: It is highly selective for mosquito and black fly larvae with minimal non-target impact

Bti targets only mosquito and black fly larvae via specific gut receptors, making it environmentally selective with negligible impact on non-target organisms.

Which human behavioral factor most significantly amplifies the risk of flea-borne typhus transmission in urban settings?

Answer: Proximity to feral cat and opossum populations harboring infected fleas

Feral cats and opossums are reservoir hosts for Rickettsia typhi, and their fleas readily feed on humans living nearby in urban environments.