Signs and Symptoms of Arthropod-Borne Diseases

The human body may react in various ways to disease pathogens or introduced foreign substances such as arthropod venom or saliva. One might think, therefore, that a careful listing of signs and symptoms of arthropod-caused problems would be useful to the practicing clinician in making diagnoses. Unfortunately, these reactions are rarely specific for one particular pathogen or offending arthropod; however, the presence of certain signs and symptoms may alert physicians to diagnostic possibilities. Further confirmation may be aided by specific laboratory findings. The following is an alphabetical listing of common signs and symptoms of arthropod-borne diseases. By no means should it be considered a complete differential diagnosis of any of the symptoms discussed.