Book excerpt: Arthropod transmitted infections continue to be a front-line issue in all regions of the world. Understanding the insects that transmit diseases, the mechanisms of infection and the resulting diseases is vital to doctors, veterinarians, public health workers and disease control agencies. This major reference examines the biology, classification and control of arthropods that cause disease in animals and humans. The morphology, taxonomy and phylogeny of fleas, flies, lice, mites, midges, mosquitoes and ticks are described, with descriptions of their medical and veterinary significance, diseases they cause, insect distribution and global disease spread. Updated, developed and reworked from Doug Kettle's seminal Medical and Veterinary Entomology, this major new reference presents vital information in encyclopedia format, with alphabetical entries and an extensive index to make key facts easy to find. This new treatment of the subject provides accessible content and up-to-date research, illustrated by line drawings and color photographs.