Epizoonoses (overview) B88.9

Skin diseases caused by animal parasites (ectoparasites) coming from outside. Triggers are in most cases arthropods (arthropods, to which insects and arachnids belong.

Epizoonoses in the narrower sense are diseases of the skin in which the parasite undergoes its entire life cycle in or on the skin (permanent ectoparasites). These include e.g. lice and scabies mites.

Epizoonoses in the broader sense are diseases of the skin caused by temporary, accidental parasites (e.g. mosquitoes), which live in or on the skin of humans or warm-blooded animals, but only stay there for a short time.

Epidemiologically, mosquitoes and flies, itch mites, lice, bugs and fleas play a special role. In times of misery, but also due to promiscuity and close residential communities, they increase, under good hygienic conditions they decrease.

Ectoparasites that cause epizoonosis include:

• Bugs: S.a.u. Cimicosis.
• Lice: S.a.u. Pediculosis.
• Fleas: S.a.u. Pulicosis.
• Mosquitoes/flies: S.a. Culicosis.
• Mites: Diseases caused by mites.
• Ticks: Diseases caused by ticks.

Epizoonoses must be distinguished from zoonoses.

Zoonoses are all diseases and/or all infections that can be transmitted naturally between animals and humans (from animal to human = zooanthroponosis) (from human to animal = anthropozoonosis).

1. Agathos M (2010) Epizoonoses, basics. In: Plettenberg A, Meigel W, Schöfer H Infectious diseases of the skin. Georg Thieme Publishing House, Stuttgart S. 371