list of diseases spread by invertebrates list of diseases spread by invertebrates invertebrates are very common vectors of disease. a vector is an organism which spreads disease from one host to another. invertebrates spread bacterial, viral and protozoan pathogens by two main mechanisms. either via their bite, as in the case of malaria spread by mosquitoes, or via their faeces, as in the case of chagas' disease spread by triatoma bugs or epidemic typhus spread by human body lice. many invertebrates are responsible for transmitting diseases. mosquitoes are perhaps the best known invertebrate vector and transmit a wide range of tropical diseases including malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever. another large group of vectors are flies. sandfly species transmit the disease leishmaniasis, by acting as vectors for protozoan leishmania species, and tsetse flies transmit protozoan trypansomes (trypanosoma brucei gambiense and trypansoma brucei rhodesiense) which cause african trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness). ticks and lice form another large group of invertebrate vectors. the bacterium borrelia burgdorferi, which causes lyme disease, is transmitted by ticks and members of the bacterial genus rickettsia are transmitted by lice. for example, the human body louse transmits the bacterium rickettsia prowazekii which causes epidemic typhus. although invertebrate-transmitted diseases pose a particular threat on the continents of africa, asia and south america, there is one way of controlling invertebrate-borne diseases, which is by controlling the invertebrate vector. for example, one way of controlling malaria is to control the mosquito vector through the use of mosquito nets, which prevent mosquitoes from coming into contact with humans. this is a list of diseases spread by invertebrates. diseases disease vector causative organism host symptoms area treatment african horse sicknessculicoid midgeorbivirus (virus)equidsfever, lung, heart or mucous membrane symptoms.europe, africavaccination babesiosistickbabesia (protozoan)humans, rodents, dogs, cattlefever, hemolytic anemia, chills, sweating, thrombocytopeniasouth europe, central united statesantibiotics bluetongue diseaseculicoid midgeorbivirus (virus)cattle, sheepfever, salivation, swelling of face and tongueeurope, africavaccination chagas disease (american trypanosomiasis)various assassin bugs of subfamily triatominaetrypanosoma cruzi (protozoan)mild symptoms, then chronic heart or brain inflammationcentral and south americaantiparasitic drugs; treatment of symptoms chikungunyamosquitochikungunya virushumanabdomen pain, eye pain, joint pain, muscle pain, fever, chills, fatigue, headache, skin rashasiaantibiotics dengue fevermosquitoflavivirus (virus)fever then arthritis(sub) tropics and south europeobservation/supportive treatment dirofilariasismosquitodirofilariadogs, wolves, coyotes, foxes, jackals, cats, seals, sea lions, muskrats, bears, rabbits, raccoons, reptiles, beavers, ferrets, monkeys,chest pain, fever, pleural effusion, cough, nodules under the skin or lung granulomasworldwideheartworm medicine tick-borne encephalitisticktick-borne encephalitis virusill with flu then meningitiscentral and north europeprevention and vaccination heartland virus diseasetickheartland virusfever, lethargy, headache, myalgia, diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite, anorexia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, arthralgiamissouri and tennessee, usasupportive treatment leishmaniasissandflyleishmania (protozoan)fever, damage to the spleen and liver, and anaemiasouth hemisphere and mediterranean countriestreatment of infected lyme diseasetickborrelia burgdorferi (bacterium)deer, humanbull's-eye pattern skin rash around bite, fever, chills, fatigue, body aches, headache, joint pain. sometimes neurological problems.europe, north africa, and north americaprevention and antibiotics malariamosquitoplasmodium (protist)humanheadache then heavy fever(sub) tropicsprevention and anti-malaria plagueflearats, humanfever, weakness and headache. in the bubonic form there is also swelling of lymph nodes, while in the septicemic form tissues may turn black and die, and in the pneumonic form shortness of breath, cough and chest pain may occurcentral asia, india, us, africa, peru, brazilantibiotics pogosta diseasesynonyms:karelian feverockelbo diseasesindbis fevermosquitosindbis virusskin rash, fever, in severe cases - arthritisscandinavia, france, russiaunknown rickettsial diseases:typhusrickettsialpoxboutonneuse feverafrican tick bite feverrocky mountain spotted fever etc.tick, mite, licerickettsia species (bacteria)fever with bleeding around the biteglobalprevention and antibiotics tularemiadeer flies, ticksfrancisella tularensis (bacterium)birds, lagomorphs, rodentsskin ulcer, swollen and painful lymph glands, fever, chills headache, exhaustionnorth americastreptomycin, gentamicin, doxycycline, ciprofloxacin african trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)tsetse flytrypanosoma brucei (protozoan)wild mammals, cattle, humanfever, joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, sleep disturbancessub-saharan africavarious drugs lymphatic filariasismosquitowuchereria bancroftihumanfever, swelling of limbs, breasts, or genitaliaafrica, asia.various drugs west nile fevermosquitowest nile virusbirds, humanfever, headaches, skin rash, body aches.africa, asia, north america, south and east europenone yellow fevermosquitoyellow fever virushumanmuscle pain, abdomen pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, jaundice, fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, bleeding, deliriumsouth america, africayellow fever vaccine zika fevermosquitozika virusmonkeys, humanfever, eye pain, conjunctivitis, rash, headache, vomiting, joint pain, muscle pain, fatigue, chills, sweating, loss of appetitesouth america, mexico, asia, africadecreasing mosquito bites, condoms