Medical Entomology (Zoo 519)

This course provides an in-depth study of insects and other arthropods of medical and veterinary importance, with emphasis on their morphology, biology, and role as vectors of human and animal diseases. Topics include feeding organs and digestive systems of blood-feeding arthropods, mechanisms of disease transmission (mechanical, biological, transovarial, and propagative), vector–pathogen–host relationships, and myiasis. The course also covers major insect- and arthropod-borne diseases affecting humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Environmental and ecological factors influencing disease transmission, as well as strategies for vector control and management, will also be discussed.