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A human flea is an insect that feeds on blood - after its meal, it leaves a stubborn itchy trace. But this is not the only memento that it can leave for the host. Fleas can also spread serious diseases. Where can you get fleas from and how to effectively fight them?

The human flea(LatinPulex irritans ) feeds on human blood - it feeds on human skin and leaves traces of itchy stains. Most often you can get infected with it in public places where it is damp and not necessarily clean.

It is worth knowing that although the host of the human flea is mainly human, the insect is able to survive, also by being on animals, e.g. dogs or cats. This means that even a clean house can be home to a flea that can quickly multiply and wreak havoc on the household.

What does a human flea look like?

The human flea is visible to the naked eye, and its size depends on the sex of the insect - females are longer and approx. 2.5-3.5 mm, and males approx. 2-2.5 mm.

Fleas are usually brown (often also black), and their body is laterally flattened and composed of fragments forming a chitinous shell.

Apart from the large abdomen, at its beginning there is a small head with antennae and a piercing-suction apparatus.

Fleas do not have wings, but they move efficiently on their numerous, strong legs, the hind legs of which are longer than the others. It is thanks to them that fleas can make long jumps - often up to a height of 20 cm and a distance of 1 m.

What does a human flea eat?

The human flea lives on the human body and feeds on its blood. By feeding on it, it can suck blood for up to an hour, which means that the amount consumed per day can be up to 20 times the weight of an insect. Unfortunately, blood suction can not only cause distressing symptoms but also spread disease.

Moreover, apart from the fact that the human flea feeds on human blood, it additionally treats it as a place of residence and a means of transport. However, if it cannot stay on the human body any longer, it is happy to stay in damp, not necessarily clean rooms. When the flea is not feeding, it can be found in the cracks of the parquet,on carpets and in dusty corners of the room. The human flea, in difficult conditions, can also parasitize on animals, e.g. dogs or cats.

How does the human flea reproduce?

Fleas reproduce very quickly, because shortly after feeding (from 3 to 10 days), a female human flea can lay eggs for another 3 months. She lays 3-5 eggs at a time and most often leaves them in hard-to-reach places, i.e. in cracks in the floor, old mattresses, dirty carpets, etc. - and she can lay nearly 500 eggs throughout her life.

Then the larvae hatch, which moult twice within 7-14 days and pupate into adults. These, in turn, live from 3 to 4 months and most often parasitize only in summer (usually in August and September). Only adults feed, the larvae feed on, among others organic debris.

A flea bite - how to recognize it and is it dangerous?

The bite of a flea is visible, but not characteristic, and most often it can be seen on the lower legs (e.g. ankles), around the waist, hips and shoulders. The fact that a human flea was feeding on the body is evidenced by small, pink or red spots with a bloody point in its center.

There can probably be more such signs on the human body, because bites are usually found in large numbers - usually they are in regular rows and there are from a few to a dozen of them. In addition, itching appears shortly after a bite of a human flea, which only passes after a few days.

Some people may have an allergic reaction when bitten by a human flea. On the skin where the insect has been feeding, there is then a diffuse redness and even blisters.

Additionally, you should be aware that fleas spread diseases, so bites should not be underestimated and it is worth consulting them with a specialist.

How to distinguish a human flea from other parasites?

Unfortunately, fleas are not easy to recognize because they look similar to other parasites. When you have not had contact with them before, it is easy to confuse them with, for example, lice or ticks. Therefore, when you see a particular worm, it is worth taking a closer look and judging what it looks like without panic.

Lice, unlike fleas, are flat and are most often seen on the hair. In addition, they leave white eggs (so-called nits) that attach to the roots of the hair.

Additionally, in fleas it is noticeable that the legs are located only in the front and middle part of the abdomen, and they also have one rear pair much longer than the others (thanks to them they can make long jumps).

In turn, they have licedefinitely more legs, each of equal length and which are connected to the body along its entire length.

Ticks, on the other hand, differ most from fleas, as they have a large, flattened and oval abdomen with small legs in the front and middle part of it.

Human flea - threats and diseases that it spreads

The human flea poses a threat to humans because it carries numerous microorganisms, including causing dangerous diseases such as:

  • spotted typhus - a very dangerous infectious disease that can kill you in a short time
  • tularemia - although it is a life-threatening disease, most often after diagnosis and antibiotic therapy, it can be successfully treated. It is enough for the flea to be infected, and the sick will develop, among others fever, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle aches, etc.
  • Staphylococcus aureus infection - it happens that bacterial carriers do not have any symptoms of infection periodically or permanently, but sometimes it results, among others, in for purulent skin infections, respiratory infections, and even toxic shock
  • cat scratch disease - which, if left untreated, can even lead to encephalitis
  • dipylidosis - a disease caused by a tapeworm for which fleas act as intermediate hosts - this is a disease that leads to disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system
  • plague - the disease does not occur at present, but once plague sticks transmitted by fleas caused the largest epidemic in the history of mankind

In addition, flea bites can cause local dermatitis in some people. While sucking blood, it secretes hapten into it, which is responsible for hypersensitivity called flea allergy dermatitis (FAD).

Bites can then cause greater than normal itching, anxiety and hyperactivity. Moreover, if there are many bites, especially in children, it can cause anemia.

How to fight fleas?

After finding a flea spot or spots, it's a good idea to take a bath and then change your clothes. Before washing, and all that may have come into contact with fleas, wash them at high temperature. This also applies to bedding, rugs and other similar items.

Then you need to assess whether the flea bites occurred outside the home, or whether they are feeding in it.

If there are fleas in your home, you can notice numerous small spots - these are flea faeces, which are most often left on the bedding. In such a situation, the apartment should be cleaned as soon as possible.

In the beginning, you shouldBe sure to vacuum all floors - also under furniture, in nooks and crannies, etc. Additionally, it is worth washing them with hot water with the addition of chloride. Pay special attention to small spaces, e.g. in panels or parquet.

In addition, you can use lemon and eucalyptus oil for cleaning. Fleas do not like the smell of mint, fern leaves, rose petals and cloves, so it is worth helping them directly (e.g. by spreading them on plates around the bed) or indirectly (creating, for example, infusions).

If there are animals in the house, they should also be disinfected. Fleas most often feed on cats and dogs, so in order to get rid of them, you must bathe them in special preparations.

Other types of fleas

Most often people in their environment deal with human fleas. It may come into contact with cat or dog fleas a little less frequently. Therefore, although there are many species of fleas (there are nearly 2000 of them), the ones mentioned above can cause the most damage.

Currently, human fleas are an endangered species in Europe, which is why they have been included in the list of animals and plants that may soon become extinct.

Category:

Parasitic diseases