Infested

Episode 1: Death Cab for Cheopis

Informações:

Synopsis

In this very first episode of Infested, we covered unique aspects of flea biology such as solenophagy, high strength legs and jumping capabilities through resilin protein, the benefits of having a laterally compressed body, as well as speciation through genal and pronotal combs. We covered the flea life cycle starting from the egg through to adult emergence including how pupae can survive dormant for years and will rapidly emerge with new host signs. One of the diseases that we discussed was plague, specifically Bubonic plague. Bubonic plague is caused by the transmission of Yersinia pestis bacteria into a vertebrate host through an infected flea bite. The bacteria are regurgitated into the host as the flea tries to take a blood meal while the bacteria forms a thick blockage in its upper digestive tract. We discussed some of the symptoms of plague as well as the historical implications of plague as it has consistently shaped history. Plague is still around today, including endemic levels in the Southwestern U