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Quiz about Of Lice and Men
Quiz about Of Lice and Men

Of Lice and Men Trivia Quiz


The title of this quiz was an Author Challenge, and I have chosen to cover all sorts of human parasites, not just lice. I hope that it won't leave you feeling itchy!

A multiple-choice quiz by invinoveritas. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
348,932
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
1938
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: chianti59 (9/10), Guest 71 (9/10), Guest 109 (9/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Let's start this creepy crawly quiz with a question about a pest that has appeared in epidemic numbers in recent years. Once mostly eradicated from the developed world, it is now found almost everywhere and you might be bringing it home with you any day now. It's about 5 mm long, red-brown in colour and flat-bodied. Any idea what it is? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Moving on from bugs, how about worms? These little horrors can be picked up from ingesting soil, or from poor toilet hygiene. They mostly infest children but anyone can get them; small, thin and white and up to 13mm in length, you may spot them in faeces or recognise that you have a problem when you get itchiness around your anus. What are they? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Back to insects, but this time let's talk about mites. These unpleasant beasties are generally spread by skin to skin contact, and can be found in all parts of the world in people of all ages. You know you've got them if you find you have itchy places on your skin and something that looks like pencil marks. Any idea what this is? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. More insects - fleas this time. There are thousands of kinds of fleas and most of them will bite any available animal if they are hungry enough. There is only one 'human' flea though. What's its name? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. These next parasites are mostly found in people who live in developing countries, although cases are reported all over the world. They live in the human bowel and can grow up to an incredible 30 feet in length. What are they? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Something a bit different this time. You may find that you have an itchy area that has blisters or scaly patches, and is spreading outwards in a ring. It's called 'ringworm' but do you know what causes it? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. How would you like to know that your body was being used as an incubator for fly larvae? Well, there is a kind of fly, found in the Americas, which does just that. Do you know its name? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. This parasite has over 800 species and is a blood-sucking arthropod, related to spiders, scorpions and mites. They generally prefer to use animals, and each kind has its preferred host, but they do bite humans as well and can cause some very unpleasant illnesses. They are found all over the world apart from Antarctica. What are they? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. These pests are sometimes referred to as some of the most dangerous animals on earth. They exist in their billions everywhere except Antarctica, breed in standing water and can carry lethal diseases. What are they? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. And finally, we come to lice. And not before time, you may say.
Humans may be infested with three kinds of lice, collectively called Pediculus Humanus. They may be found on the head, body and pubic areas and generally keep to their own place, except for the pubic ones which can also be found in eyelashes, beards and underarms - where the hair is coarse.
What name is given to this type of louse?
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Most Recent Scores
Oct 18 2024 : chianti59: 9/10
Oct 08 2024 : Guest 71: 9/10
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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Let's start this creepy crawly quiz with a question about a pest that has appeared in epidemic numbers in recent years. Once mostly eradicated from the developed world, it is now found almost everywhere and you might be bringing it home with you any day now. It's about 5 mm long, red-brown in colour and flat-bodied. Any idea what it is?

Answer: Bed bug

The commonest bed bug is Cimex Lectularius. Due to the use of DDT, it was rarely found in developed countries by the 1940s, but pesticide bans and increasing travel have seen its dramatic increase since 1995. You could pick one up from a theatre seat, someone else's clothing, an hotel bed or second-hand furniture amongst other things, and then all you can do is to call in the Pest Control boys.
Largely nocturnal, these little beasts will bite you painlessly (they kindly inject anesthetic into your skin before biting), and drink up to three times their own weight of your blood. They reproduce easily so one or two bed bugs can easily become several hundred.
You could end up with a nasty allergy or a rash, as well as marks where you have been bitten.
One the bright side (there is one, you ask?) their presence in your home is not a sign that you are dirty. They can get in through tiny apertures and are attracted by the carbon dioxide you exude as you breathe. They don't actually care if you live in a palace or a pit.
2. Moving on from bugs, how about worms? These little horrors can be picked up from ingesting soil, or from poor toilet hygiene. They mostly infest children but anyone can get them; small, thin and white and up to 13mm in length, you may spot them in faeces or recognise that you have a problem when you get itchiness around your anus. What are they?

Answer: Thread worms

Thread worm eggs can be found in soil and ingested if you haven't washed your hands properly. The eggs hatch in the intestine and the worms live for five or six weeks before laying their eggs around the outside of the anus. The eggs are microscopically small but itchy and oozy, and may fall off into clothes and bedding where they can live for up to two weeks. They are so small they can get transferred as dust particles and end up anywhere, including on your toothbrush.
Children are often not good at washing their hands so eggs are easily transferred between them, and once they put dirty fingers into their mouths, the life cycle of the worm begins again.
Fortunately, apart from being unpleasant, thread worms don't usually cause much harm, but the whole family needs to be treated once they have been diagnosed.
Go buy a nail brush and USE IT!
3. Back to insects, but this time let's talk about mites. These unpleasant beasties are generally spread by skin to skin contact, and can be found in all parts of the world in people of all ages. You know you've got them if you find you have itchy places on your skin and something that looks like pencil marks. Any idea what this is?

Answer: Scabies

Scabies can be caught from shared clothing or bedding, but much more likely from direct contact with infected skin. The scabies mite burrows into the skin to lay its eggs, and it's this burrow that looks like a pencil mark. The eggs take 21 days to hatch and itchy rashes can appear anywhere on the body; sores may develop because of the victim scratching, and secondary infections such as impetigo may also develop.
Scabies can be treated by special creams and ointments, or by oral medication.
It's necessary to wash all clothes and bedding in hot water in order to kill the mites and eggs, and thorough vacuuming of beds, carpets and upholstery is required.
Are you itching yet?
4. More insects - fleas this time. There are thousands of kinds of fleas and most of them will bite any available animal if they are hungry enough. There is only one 'human' flea though. What's its name?

Answer: Pulex irritans

Pulex irritans is more likely to be caught from a pig than from a human nowadays, but in centuries gone by they infested people and houses. These fleas are up to 4mm long and dark brown to black in colour. They tend to bite you on your arms and legs, and make two or three bites in a row rather than the one bite you might get from other species. A lump forms which will have a red halo, and you may get an allergic reaction.
They don't necessarily live on you because you are dirty - they aren't fussy who they infest - and it is possible to treat the problem.
C. felis is the cat flea, C. canis is the dog flea, and Nosopsyllus fasciatus is the rat flea - all of which will happily make a meal off you if nothing better is available.
5. These next parasites are mostly found in people who live in developing countries, although cases are reported all over the world. They live in the human bowel and can grow up to an incredible 30 feet in length. What are they?

Answer: Tapeworms

Tapeworms are common in animals. T. solium are the ones that infect humans and they are a class of worms called 'Cestoda'. Flat in shape and with segmented bodies, they can be caught by touching infected faeces and then putting your hands near your mouth. Swallowing water contaminated with infected faeces will also do the trick, as will eating raw, contaminated beef, fish or pork.

The result will be a swollen belly, stomach pain, diarrhea and vomiting. It is easily treated with tablets. Almost unbelievably, there are people who - voluntarily - swallow tapeworm eggs as a way of keeping themselves slim. I think I'd rather be fat.
6. Something a bit different this time. You may find that you have an itchy area that has blisters or scaly patches, and is spreading outwards in a ring. It's called 'ringworm' but do you know what causes it?

Answer: A fungal infection

Often called 'Tinea', ringworm is a fungal infection. It mainly affects children but anyone can get it. Personal hygiene is the best way to prevent its spread, and you should not share hats, combs, towels, clothes etc. Proper laundering of your clothes and sports equipment is also necessary.
Cats and dogs can catch ringworm and pass it on to you, so animals with patchy-looking fur should be avoided if they aren't yours - and treated by a vet if they are.
Treatment consists of anti-fungal creams, lotions and powders, and sometimes tablets.
7. How would you like to know that your body was being used as an incubator for fly larvae? Well, there is a kind of fly, found in the Americas, which does just that. Do you know its name?

Answer: Human bot fly

Dermatobia hominis, to give it its proper name, parasitizes primates and other animals as well as humans. It is also known as the American warble fly.
The fly uses mosquitos to deposit its eggs on your skin. It captures a mosquito (I don't know how this is done), and attaches its eggs to the mosquito's body. It then lets the mosquito go so it can fly off and bite you. The eggs may hatch into larvae while the mosquito is feeding, or they may drop off onto your skin. The larvae use the hole made by the mosquito to get under your skin, and there they stay for eight weeks, after which they drop off to pupate in the soil. The adults are small, and grey and look a bit like blowflies.
Apparently the larvae can't survive unless the wound is healthy, so the victim (you) rarely has a problem with infection. Happy? Me neither.
8. This parasite has over 800 species and is a blood-sucking arthropod, related to spiders, scorpions and mites. They generally prefer to use animals, and each kind has its preferred host, but they do bite humans as well and can cause some very unpleasant illnesses. They are found all over the world apart from Antarctica. What are they?

Answer: Ticks

A tick bite is usually painless and you wouldn't know you had one unless you saw it. They have four stages in their life cycle: egg, larva, nymph and adult. The nymph, which is about the size of a poppy seed, is most likely to bite you and will swell to many times its original size as it steals your blood. If it isn't disturbed it may cling on for a week before dropping off. Unfortunately, ticks can carry many diseases that affect both humans and animals. Probably the best known ones are Lyme disease, which is spread by deer ticks, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which is spread by a variety of ticks. Left untreated they can make you very ill. Good advice is to make sure you have your legs and arms covered when walking in tick country, as the ticks cling to grasses and plants, waiting their chance to jump you. Prompt removal of any that do get through, followed by cleansing and subsequent monitoring of the site, should ensure you survive the experience.
9. These pests are sometimes referred to as some of the most dangerous animals on earth. They exist in their billions everywhere except Antarctica, breed in standing water and can carry lethal diseases. What are they?

Answer: Mosquitos

Mosquitos do their damage by carry viruses and bacteria in their saliva, which is injected into the bloodstream of their victims as they feed. Not all mosquitos are harmful though; some are just a nuisance. There are at least 3500 kinds of mosquitos and mostly they are active in the evenings and at night. If you are unlucky you could end up with nasty diseases such as malaria, dengue, tularemia, yellow fever or West Nile virus. On the other hand, if you know you are in an affected area, you could dress sensibly, use a mosquito net and an insect repellant, and you might survive unscathed.
10. And finally, we come to lice. And not before time, you may say. Humans may be infested with three kinds of lice, collectively called Pediculus Humanus. They may be found on the head, body and pubic areas and generally keep to their own place, except for the pubic ones which can also be found in eyelashes, beards and underarms - where the hair is coarse. What name is given to this type of louse?

Answer: Crabs

The medical term for louse infestation is 'pediculosis'. Lice can't survive long off the body and are transmitted by contact. They have to suck blood to survive. Their eggs are called 'nits' and can easily be seen attached to the hairs of their victims.
The adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed, and thrives in unsanitary conditions. For example, soldiers on active service where they can't keep clean may well be infested. This was particularly so in the trenches of WW1. Anyone living in close proximity to others, without benefit of washing facilities, is likely to suffer.
As well as carrying some nasty illnesses such as typhus and trench fever, lice can make their hosts feel generally unwell - hence the expression 'feeling lousy'. Frequent bathing and hot laundering of clothing will get rid of them but while they are in situ they will make their host itchy and uncomfortable.
Source: Author invinoveritas

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor CellarDoor before going online.
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