Fleas feed off the blood of humans and animals such as dogs and cats. A flea bite is intensely itchy and secondary infections are common. Treatment options include anaesthetic creams and icepacks to reduce the swelling. Fleas can transmit disease including tapeworm larvae and murine typhus. Fleas can also transmit bubonic plague from animals to humans in some parts of the world.
Fleas are responsible for a number of medical and veterinary problems. Flea bites themselves are irritating and can become swollen or inflamed. Scratching can lead to secondary infection. Some flea species are known to transmit diseases, such as plague and murine typhus, and parasites, like the cat tapeworm. Additionally, many pets develop allergic reactions to flea bites.
Fleas are a type of wingless parasite found worldwide. They feed off the blood of humans and animals such as dogs and cats. Since fleas use a wide range of hosts, diseases can be transferred from one host to another. Fleas are known to transmit tapeworm larvae and, uncommonly, the disease murine typhus. They are most notorious for transmitting bubonic plague from wild rodents to humans in certain parts of the world. A flea bite is intensely itchy and secondary infections caused by scratching are common.
Most often, flea bites are just itchy and annoying, because it’s difficult not to scratch them. Scratching is what causes the secondary infections in most cases, because we carry many bacteria under our nails, and by scratching we introduce them into our body. This can easily lead to a condition called cellulitis.
Also, some people, just like some animals, are extremely sensitive to flea saliva and can develop severe allergic reaction, in which case they should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
It is also possible that fleas that bite you are vectors for other diseases. Bubonic plague mentioned above, also called Black Death, that swept through Europe in the 14th century and killed half of the European population – is the most drastic example: it spread among rodents and humans by means of fleas who were transmitting bacteria Yersinia Pestis. Today, a real danger can be tapeworms transmitted by dog fleas.
Fleas are responsible for a number of medical and veterinary problems. Flea bites themselves are irritating and can become swollen or inflamed. Scratching can lead to secondary infection. Some flea species are known to transmit diseases, such as plague and murine typhus, and parasites, like the cat tapeworm. Additionally, many pets develop allergic reactions to flea bites.
Fleas are a type of wingless parasite found worldwide. They feed off the blood of humans and animals such as dogs and cats. Since fleas use a wide range of hosts, diseases can be transferred from one host to another. Fleas are known to transmit tapeworm larvae and, uncommonly, the disease murine typhus. They are most notorious for transmitting bubonic plague from wild rodents to humans in certain parts of the world. A flea bite is intensely itchy and secondary infections caused by scratching are common.
Most often, flea bites are just itchy and annoying, because it’s difficult not to scratch them. Scratching is what causes the secondary infections in most cases, because we carry many bacteria under our nails, and by scratching we introduce them into our body. This can easily lead to a condition called cellulitis.
Also, some people, just like some animals, are extremely sensitive to flea saliva and can develop severe allergic reaction, in which case they should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
It is also possible that fleas that bite you are vectors for other diseases. Bubonic plague mentioned above, also called Black Death, that swept through Europe in the 14th century and killed half of the European population – is the most drastic example: it spread among rodents and humans by means of fleas who were transmitting bacteria Yersinia Pestis. Today, a real danger can be tapeworms transmitted by dog fleas.
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