Ratemiidae is a family of lice within Anoplura (sucking lice) that is a parasite of

Perissodactyla Perissodactyla (, ), or odd-toed ungulates, is an order of ungulates. The order includes about 17 living species divided into three families: Equidae (horses, asses, and zebras), Rhinocerotidae (rhinoceroses), and Tapiridae (tapirs). They t ...

(horses and other odd toed ungulates). Ratemiidae is capable of transferring diseases such as typhus to their hosts. These lice are found primarily in China.

Ecology and evolution

Ratemiidae are a family of lice ( Psocodea) within the super-family Anoplura, which entails the sucking lice. These lice have one genus (''Ratemia'') that consist of two species both of which are obligate parasites of horses.

Distribution

Ratemiidae is endemic to the Xinjiang province of China.

Diseases transmission

Ratemiidae are capable of transferring the bacteria that causes

typhus Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposu ...

to their host. This is done when a louse pierces the skin of its host and begins to suction out blood, in the process the louse's saliva is injected, along with the bacteria, into the host.

References

Lice Insect families Wikipedia Student Program {{louse-stub