| Popis: |
To a systematist interested in the evolutionary relationships between animals, the parasites causing scabies are barely related to those causing lice. Scabies mites are arachnids, but lice are insects. The only relationship is the fact that both are arthropods. Nevertheless, from a purely practical point of view, there are advantages in considering the two together. In particular, both lice and scabies are subject to a host of myths, often very similar in each case. At the root of most misinformation is a failure to realize how very parasitic these creatures are. The general public doesn't get a chance to see the detail of either scabies mites or lice under the microscope, and if they did, they would not have the training or experience needed to interpret what they were seeing. Health professionals sometimes have the opportunity to see and study these parasites, but unfortunately they usually do not get the chance to examine their nonparasitic relatives. Diagnosis is their principal concern. The medical entomologist is in the fortunate position of being able to make comparisons between parasitic forms and their nearest free-living relatives, and so they are able to assess the degree of parasitic adaptation that has taken place. |
