Issued August 12, 1916. 
United States Department of Agriculture, 
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY—CIRCULAR NO. 61. 
IMPORTANT INSECTS WHICH MAY AFFECT THE 
HEALTH OF MEN OR ANIMALS ENGAGED IN 
MILITARY OPERATIONS. 
(Prepared in the Bureau of Entomology.) 
INTRODUCTION. 
A number of the most serious infectious diseases are carried by 
insects. Of these, typhus fever, malaria, yellow fever, and bubonic 
plague are oat only or chiefly by ‘ie bites of insects. Other 
diseases, such as typhoid fever, dysentery, and other affections of the 
intestines, while also acquired in other ways, are frequently conveyed 
by flies or otherinsects which carry the causative germs from excrement 
or other body discharges to food. LEatirely aside from transmission 
of diseases, many insects are of importance on account of the annoy- 
ance and loss of sleep which they cause. A number of species are 
also of importance on account of the injury they do to military stores, 
especially foods. 
In the southwestern part of the United States are to be found many 
species of noxious insects. In view of the fact that the United States 
is mobilizing troops in that portion of the country, the following brief 
statements regarding the control of insects which may affect the health 
the troops and their animals have been collected. As far as possi- 
ble advantage has been taken of the recent advances which have been 
made in the European armies in the control of insects. 
INSECTS WHICH MAY CARRY OR CAUSE DISEASES BY CONTACT WITH 
r FOOD AND WOUNDS. 
Many of the bacterial diseases are very readily carried by insects, 
especially by the house fly and other flies of similar habits. Among 
these diseases are typhoid and para-typhoid fevers, dysentery, and 
diarrhoea. 
_ A distinct type of disease caused by the presence of insects in the 
ped is known as myiasis. Briefly, myiasis is the occurrence of fly 
Maggots in the body of persons or animals. There are several types 
according to the location of the larve. Intestinal myiasis is caused 
by eating larve of insects in food. Dermal myiasis consists of the 
occurrence of fly maggots in wounds or in boil-like swellings caused 
y the maggot itself. Another form of myiasis is caused by maggots 
‘m im the various body openings and is usually a serious matter. 
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