Arthropods play a significant role as vectors of many pathogenic microorganisms. Mosquito-borne, tick-borne and flea-borne diseases occur in Texas. Mosquito-borne diseases are encephalitides caused by West Nile virus (WNV), St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) virus, western equine encephalitis (WEE) virus, eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus, and California encephalitis virus; Dengue fever; malaria; and Yellow fever.

Fleas and ticks are not only a nuisance for your pet, but they can also be dangerous to their health. Ticks carry several types of diseases such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, and Tularemia, all of which you can contract too. Fleas can also cause health problems in your pets such as skin allergies, internal parasites (tapeworms), anemia, and in cats they can spread 'cat scratch disease'.

The term "sexually transmitted diseases" or "STDs" represents a group of more than 25 different diseases that can be passed from one person to another through sexual contact.

Definitely protect your pet. Now, the degree of protection will vary according to the environment you live in. If you live near a heavily wooded area it is important that you take precautions to keep the ticks off of your dog or cat. Most likely you will have to protect your animal year round. If you live in the city, seasonal treatment may be the best defense. As far as what to use, there are a lot of products out on the market.

Any insect that feeds on blood has the potential of transmitting disease organisms from human to human. Mosquitoes are highly developed blood-sucking insects and are the most formidable transmitters of disease in the animal kingdom. Mosquito-borne diseases are caused by human parasites that have a stage in their life cycle that enters the blood stream. The female mosquito picks up the blood stage of the parasite when she imbibes blood to develop her eggs.

No. Like most other family planning methods except condoms, the Standard Days Method on which CycleBeads are based does not protect people from STDs. If you think you are at risk of an STD, you should consult your doctor immediately to find out how you can protect yourself.

Shampoos, wipes, sponge-ons, and on-animal sprays work fast because they are applied directly to a pet's entire coat and quickly penetrate to the skin. It takes just a few minutes for the fleas to die when they come in contact with the active ingredients. These quick-relief products are Step 2 of Zodiac's 3-Step Program for complete control.

We maintain a strict regimen for pest control. Unfortunately, it is impossible to exterminate all fleas and ticks, especially because many grooming dogs arrive in need of flea baths. Effective June 1, 2006 all boarding dogs must have Frontline Plus or Advantix applied in our presence! If you've previously applied or you use a different brand, your dog will be given a Capstar tablet to immediately kill any fleas & will be examined for ticks. There is a $6.00 per dose charge for Capstar.

Infected mosquitoes are the primary source of WNV. There is no evidence to suggest that ticks or other insects transmit WNV.

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If you do not have symptoms, you may schedule a routine appointment. (Men also have the option to attend a Men's Info Session, and obtain STD screening without an appointment.) If you do have symptoms, you should see a provider as soon as possible, either in a same-day appointment, or through Urgent Care. Cultures can be collected for sexually transmitted diseases during a genital examination. Some diseases require urine or blood testing for diagnosis.

Whenever your pet snaps at a flea and swallows it, it has exposed itself to Dipylidium caninum, a tapeworm that attaches to the small intestine where it sucks up nutrients. In a few weeks, you’ll find dried, tan, rice-like tapeworm segments attached to the pet’s rectum or in the feces. These tapeworm segments carry eggs and can eventually infect humans and other pets. One more reason to prevent fleas.

With the advancement of flea control like Program, Sentinel and Frontline, fleas and ticks are no longer the nuisance they once were for you and your pet. Frontline is a liquid applied to the back of the neck which kills fleas and ticks within 24 hours and continues killing them for 1 full month. Sentinel is a tablet that is given by mouth every month with a meal. It prevents heartworm disease, the most serious parasite affecting dogs, and stops fleas from reproducing, and also lasts a month.

This is an excellent question, because it asks about prevention rather than treatment. It is much easier to prevent than to treat, especially when talking about fleas! There are several good products out there for ticks. A topical once-a-month liquid seems to be the most effective thing for those (i.e. Advantix?, Frontline?, or Biospot?). These are also fairly effective for flea prevention.

CAH endorses and sells Frontline Plus for this purpose. It must be applied monthly, continuously year round, as ticks that carry Lyme Disease can be seen even in the winter. All pets should be tested annually. This is to prevent the presence of dangerous parasites within the pet as well as those that can be transmitted to humans from animals. This is especially true for small children & immuno compromised or older adults.

Fleas are a problem that should be taken seriously. These tiny parasites feed off of your pet, transmit tapeworms and irritate the skin. Carefully check your cat once a week for fleas and ticks. If there are fleas on your cat, there will be fleas in your house. You may need to use flea bombs or premise-control sprays, and treat all animals in your house. Make sure that any sprays, powders or shampoos you use are safe for cats and that all products are compatible if used together.