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Stinging Insect Allergy pp 231–246Cite as

Reactions to Arthropod Bites

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Abstract

Arthropod bites result in injury through (1) mechanical damage that is dependent on the type of mouthparts, (2) introduction of toxic compounds that include neurotoxins, anticoagulants, and inflammatory compounds, and (3) induction of adaptive inflammation including immediate-type and delayed-type hypersensitivity. While many arthropods will bite in self-defense, those that feed on blood are a common cause of significant pathology. This includes mosquitoes, lice, and bedbugs that specifically target human host as well as a wide array of zoonotic ectoparasites that attempt to feed on humans incidentally.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sections of Allergy and Immunology and Community Pediatrics and Global Health, Tulane University School of Medicine, SL-37, 1430 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA

    John C. Carlson M.D., Ph.D.

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  1. John C. Carlson M.D., Ph.D.
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Correspondence to John C. Carlson M.D., Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. San Antonio Allergy and Asthma Clinic, San Antonio, Texas, USA

    Theodore M. Freeman

  2. Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates P.C., Omaha, Nebraska, USA

    James M. Tracy

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Carlson, J.C. (2017). Reactions to Arthropod Bites. In: Freeman, T., Tracy, J. (eds) Stinging Insect Allergy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46192-2_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46192-2_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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