- Email: [email protected]
Bugs for beginners
DISSECTING ROOM
Bugs for beginners Medical entomology for students 2nd edn. Michael W Service. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Pp 283. US$37·95. ISBN 0521666597. his is the second edition of this useful book written by the well-known medical entomologist, Michael Service (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK). It is aimed at students needing an introduction to medical entomology, such as physicians, nurses, health officials, and those seeking masters degrees in parasitology and medical entomology. The book covers arthropods that are frequently encountered and discusses their recognition,biology, medical importance, and control. Although there are some references to arthropods seen in veterinary practice, these are not discussed in any detail. Of the 20 chapters in Medical entomology for students the first three (over 25% of the book) cover mosquitoes. The remaining chapters deal with other Diptera (two-winged flies), fleas, lice, true bugs (eg, bedbugs and triatomid bugs), roaches, ticks, and mites. There is no discussion of the treatment of medically important Hymenoptera, such as bees, wasps, or ants or venomous arthropods, such as scorpions and centipedes. This lack reflects the primary focus of the book, which is on the human pathogens transmitted by arthropods rather than the generally less important medical
T
disorders resulting from exposure to arthropods, such as severe allergic reactions and envenomisation. As an introduction for students lacking previous experience with the subject, this book will serve admirably. It is attractively printed and the illustrations—line drawings— are excellent. Service’s writing is clear and to the point, and consequently the book is very understandable. A desirable feature of this edition of the book is the inclusion of a glossary of terms used in medical entomology. Although the list is not exhaustive, it does include terms such as “transovarial transmission” and “autogenous” that are generally unknown outside the area. In a book of this length, there are bound to be subjects that cannot be covered in the detail they deserve. Dengue is an example of a subject that ought to have received more than two short paragraphs, given its increasing importance worldwide. Of the arthropod-borne viruses, only yellow fever is discussed in detail. The section on mosquito control, although brief, is modern and refreshingly candid. Biological control and genetic control are presented in realistic terms, and the point is made that there are very few successful examples of biological
control of mosquitoes other than by microbial insecticides, such as Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis. The subject of control schemes based on genetically altered vector arthropods might have received more emphasis, not because of the eventual utility of the approach, but because of the heavy investment being made in this area. I found very few factual errors in this book, and most of these were minor. Culiseta melanura is incorrectly identified as a vector of western equine encephalomyelitis virus, but this is probably a carryover from the days when the virus was thought to occur in the eastern USA. Anopheline mosquitoes are used as an example of an intermediate host of malaria under the definition of a vector in the glossary, but they are actually the definitive host. However, they are characterised correctly under the definition of definitive host. In short, Medical entomology for students is a very well written book that is well suited for its purpose as an introduction for students. It covers the most important topics in the field well, and each chapter ends with a set of well-chosen references for further reading. Although it is not designed to be a reference for medical entomology, it would serve well as a quick refresher to the subject even for experienced medical entomologists. The book is well worth the price. Bruce F Eldridge Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
The way it is Chickenpox? hose who can, do; those who cannot, teach.” An unkind adage, but one I used to excuse me from teaching the medical student attached to the practice. These spots, though, were irresistible. I sat the complainant right-side on. “What”, I asked, “is this?”. “Chickenpox”, the student replied at once. I asked the man to turn round: on his left side not one umbilicated pustule typical of chicken-pox was to be seen. The deception was probably reprehensible and my sneer “unilateral chickenpox”? superfluous, but the lesson was learned and the student was kind enough to telephone me some years later to say he had encountered “strimmer’s rash” in the casualty department where he was an intern. A strimmer is a hand-held, rapidly rotating shaft with a flail of nylon twine which is used to mow weeds on verges. When the weeds include Umbelliferae, such as cow-parsley, strimming may innoculate irritant droplets of juice into the skin. Strimmers are advised to wear protective clothing but rarely do, as in
T
1118
this instance where the man wore nothing but bathing trunks.
Doubling the pill er medical records showed that over the previous 3 months, she had received 6 months’ supply of a contraceptive pill. Has she lost some, or is someone else taking her pills? After a shy pause, she confided that she was taking two pills a day—one for her husband and one for her lover. My fault entirely for not checking her need for repeat prescriptions and for not having adequately explained how the pill worked when she started taking it. This was in the early days of oral contraception. I had already encountered the misunderstanding that it was one pill for each act of sexual intercourse rather than one a day. Both errors had obvious dangers, and I subsequently ended my homily on taking the pill with the injunction, “one pill a day, not one for each lover or one for each act of love”, which I expect offended some women, but left my conscience in the clear.
H
THE LANCET • Vol 356 • September 23, 2000
For personal use only. Not to be reproduced without permission of The Lancet.
Bugs for beginners Medical entomology for students 2nd edn. Michael W Service. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Pp 283. US$37·95. ISBN 0521666597. his is the second edition of this useful book written by the well-known medical entomologist, Michael Service (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK). It is aimed at students needing an introduction to medical entomology, such as physicians, nurses, health officials, and those seeking masters degrees in parasitology and medical entomology. The book covers arthropods that are frequently encountered and discusses their recognition,biology, medical importance, and control. Although there are some references to arthropods seen in veterinary practice, these are not discussed in any detail. Of the 20 chapters in Medical entomology for students the first three (over 25% of the book) cover mosquitoes. The remaining chapters deal with other Diptera (two-winged flies), fleas, lice, true bugs (eg, bedbugs and triatomid bugs), roaches, ticks, and mites. There is no discussion of the treatment of medically important Hymenoptera, such as bees, wasps, or ants or venomous arthropods, such as scorpions and centipedes. This lack reflects the primary focus of the book, which is on the human pathogens transmitted by arthropods rather than the generally less important medical
T
disorders resulting from exposure to arthropods, such as severe allergic reactions and envenomisation. As an introduction for students lacking previous experience with the subject, this book will serve admirably. It is attractively printed and the illustrations—line drawings— are excellent. Service’s writing is clear and to the point, and consequently the book is very understandable. A desirable feature of this edition of the book is the inclusion of a glossary of terms used in medical entomology. Although the list is not exhaustive, it does include terms such as “transovarial transmission” and “autogenous” that are generally unknown outside the area. In a book of this length, there are bound to be subjects that cannot be covered in the detail they deserve. Dengue is an example of a subject that ought to have received more than two short paragraphs, given its increasing importance worldwide. Of the arthropod-borne viruses, only yellow fever is discussed in detail. The section on mosquito control, although brief, is modern and refreshingly candid. Biological control and genetic control are presented in realistic terms, and the point is made that there are very few successful examples of biological
control of mosquitoes other than by microbial insecticides, such as Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis. The subject of control schemes based on genetically altered vector arthropods might have received more emphasis, not because of the eventual utility of the approach, but because of the heavy investment being made in this area. I found very few factual errors in this book, and most of these were minor. Culiseta melanura is incorrectly identified as a vector of western equine encephalomyelitis virus, but this is probably a carryover from the days when the virus was thought to occur in the eastern USA. Anopheline mosquitoes are used as an example of an intermediate host of malaria under the definition of a vector in the glossary, but they are actually the definitive host. However, they are characterised correctly under the definition of definitive host. In short, Medical entomology for students is a very well written book that is well suited for its purpose as an introduction for students. It covers the most important topics in the field well, and each chapter ends with a set of well-chosen references for further reading. Although it is not designed to be a reference for medical entomology, it would serve well as a quick refresher to the subject even for experienced medical entomologists. The book is well worth the price. Bruce F Eldridge Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
The way it is Chickenpox? hose who can, do; those who cannot, teach.” An unkind adage, but one I used to excuse me from teaching the medical student attached to the practice. These spots, though, were irresistible. I sat the complainant right-side on. “What”, I asked, “is this?”. “Chickenpox”, the student replied at once. I asked the man to turn round: on his left side not one umbilicated pustule typical of chicken-pox was to be seen. The deception was probably reprehensible and my sneer “unilateral chickenpox”? superfluous, but the lesson was learned and the student was kind enough to telephone me some years later to say he had encountered “strimmer’s rash” in the casualty department where he was an intern. A strimmer is a hand-held, rapidly rotating shaft with a flail of nylon twine which is used to mow weeds on verges. When the weeds include Umbelliferae, such as cow-parsley, strimming may innoculate irritant droplets of juice into the skin. Strimmers are advised to wear protective clothing but rarely do, as in
T
1118
this instance where the man wore nothing but bathing trunks.
Doubling the pill er medical records showed that over the previous 3 months, she had received 6 months’ supply of a contraceptive pill. Has she lost some, or is someone else taking her pills? After a shy pause, she confided that she was taking two pills a day—one for her husband and one for her lover. My fault entirely for not checking her need for repeat prescriptions and for not having adequately explained how the pill worked when she started taking it. This was in the early days of oral contraception. I had already encountered the misunderstanding that it was one pill for each act of sexual intercourse rather than one a day. Both errors had obvious dangers, and I subsequently ended my homily on taking the pill with the injunction, “one pill a day, not one for each lover or one for each act of love”, which I expect offended some women, but left my conscience in the clear.
H
THE LANCET • Vol 356 • September 23, 2000
For personal use only. Not to be reproduced without permission of The Lancet.