Environmental & Public Health Flashcards

Which key principle of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) distinguishes it from conventional pesticide-only pest control?

Answer: IPM uses economic and action thresholds to guide decisions and combines multiple control tactics

IPM integrates monitoring, thresholds, and multiple tactics (biological, cultural, mechanical, chemical) to manage pests while minimizing environmental and health impacts.

A public health worker finds Phlebotomus sand flies at a field site in a region with reported leishmaniasis cases. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

Answer: Collect sand fly specimens for species identification and report findings to health authorities

Species identification determines the vector competence of local sand flies, and reporting to health authorities triggers appropriate surveillance and response protocols.

Why are stored product insect infestations in grain facilities considered a public health concern beyond economic loss?

Answer: They introduce mycotoxin-producing fungi and contaminate food with insect fragments and allergens

Stored product insects create conditions for mold growth, producing mycotoxins, and contaminate food commodities with allergens and insect body parts.

Which factor best explains why Chagas disease (Triatomine bug transmission) poses greater risk in rural Latin American communities than in urban US settings?

Answer: Traditional rural housing with thatched roofs and mud walls provides optimal triatomine harborage sites

Thatched and adobe structures in rural Latin America provide cracks where triatomine bugs hide during the day and emerge to feed on sleeping residents at night.

What does the term 'vector competence' refer to in medical entomology?

Answer: The intrinsic capacity of an arthropod to acquire, maintain, and transmit a pathogen

Vector competence describes the biological ability of an arthropod to become infected with a pathogen and subsequently transmit it to a susceptible host.

A health department wants to assess arboviral risk in a county. Which combination of surveillance data provides the most comprehensive risk picture?

Answer: Vector mosquito abundance, virus infection rates in mosquitoes, and sentinel flock or human case data

Combining vector density, entomological infection rates, and vertebrate host or human infection data gives a complete picture of transmission risk in a surveillance area.

When a new insecticide is proposed for use in a public housing development for roach control, which regulatory document must an applicator consult first to ensure legal compliance?

Answer: EPA-registered pesticide label

The EPA-registered pesticide label is a legal document specifying approved uses, application rates, sites, and required personal protective equipment under FIFRA.