NEHA Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Practice Exam

In an urban area, wild animals are generally the least likely to experience bites from parasites compared to other groups. This is primarily due to their limited presence in highly populated areas where urbanization has led to habitat destruction and modifications. While wild animals can still be found in certain green spaces, parks, or at the urban fringe, their interactions with humans and pets are fewer.

Conversely, pets and rodents frequently interact with the urban environment and are in close proximity to human habitation, increasing their exposure to various parasites such as fleas, ticks, and mites. Pets, often being cared for by humans, can come into contact with infected animals or environments. Rodents, on the other hand, thrive in urban areas, and they are notorious carriers of parasites, which can directly impact both human and pet populations. Humans, while not as commonly affected by parasitic bites as pets or rodents, can still experience exposure through interactions or the presence of parasites in their living environment.

Thus, wild animals, due to their relatively sparse urban presence and lesser interactions with the day-to-day conditions that foster parasite transmission, are indeed the group least likely to experience bites from parasites in an urban area.