Good day! Many people are in no hurry to get pets for one simple reason: they are afraid that the pet will pick up fleas, which will then be transferred to people. Families with young children are especially afraid of this.
It is clear that if you closely monitor the animals, do not let them out into the street and avoid contact with other four-legged animals, then the likelihood of fleas is minimal. But still. Want to know if fleas are dangerous for humans? How to protect yourself from these pests? In the article below you will find the answers to these questions.
The content of the article:
- 1 Are fleas dangerous to humans, and how to get them out yourself?
- 2 Are fleas transmitted from dog to person?
- 3 How a cat gets infected with fleas
- 4 Not only harmful to animals
- 5 Reasons for transmitting fleas from cats to humans
- 6 Is flea transmission from animals to humans possible?
- 7 Are cat fleas dangerous to humans?
Are fleas dangerous to humans, and how to get them out yourself?
It is believed that only a certain type of flea can settle on the human body, which parasitizes only on the human body. But this is far from the case; fleas can be infected even if they are wound up by your cat. Of course, such cases are quite rare, but they are.
A flea is a very small insect that has a slightly flattened shape. On her head is a mouth opening, with the help of which she can suck blood of both animal and human without additional labor.
It is quite difficult to get rid of fleas, as they sense danger very well, and in this case they can simply move to a place where you cannot see or destroy them. At one time, the female insect can lay about 500 eggs, so if you encounter parasites, you need to immediately take action until they have time to create huge colonies.
Do not think that if you drove a flea from your body mechanically, they will die immediately. This is far from the case, because fleas can go without blood for a very long time until they find a new victim for themselves.
If you are going to purchase any means for exterminating fleas, then pay attention to the fact that it must also destroy eggs. Otherwise, all your efforts will not make sense, since soon new offspring will appear from the eggs of insects.
And also remember that insects are very often carriers of diseases. Therefore, if you do not immediately take action, then you have a chance to get a dangerous viral infection.
Fleas can carry a variety of viruses, such as rat typhus or plague, as well as other diseases that they can pick up on the street.
Parasites can not only transmit a dangerous infection to you, but also parasitize in your wound, thereby infecting you even more. If you notice that the wounds have begun to fester, be sure to consult a doctor.
To prevent infection of the affected area, regularly treat it with an antiseptic. It will save you from unwanted germs and from further unpleasant consequences.
What do their bites look like?
It is not necessary that if you have no animals at home, then you will not be able to get these parasites. Infection can occur immediately after you pet a homeless pet or simply make contact with a pet that lives with your friend.
A flea can jump very far, so believe me that moving to you will not be difficult. Cat fleas are dangerous for humans, and this is a fact, because insect bites cause a lot of unpleasant emotions and can even provoke a serious allergic reaction.
A flea bite is very similar to a bug or mosquito bite. The difference is that fleas do not inject a special analgesic substance that a person cannot wake up from. Therefore, when you bite, you will feel a strong burning sensation, which after a while will begin to be accompanied by an unpleasant itch.
How can I treat bite marks after a flea?
Cat’s fleas are dangerous for humans, but don’t panic immediately if it has insects. You can completely cope with unpleasant sensations and traces yourself without professional intervention.
If the bite mark has been tormenting you with an unpleasant itch for several days, then use any antiseptic. It will reduce scabies for a while, so this tool should be used several times a day.
If you are not a supporter of folk remedies, and you are very worried about whether cat fleas are dangerous to humans, then go to the pharmacy. There they will give you a remedy for insect bites, which in a few hours will relieve you of itching and prevent a lot of other unpleasant consequences.
Feedback: I would never have thought that I would encounter a similar problem, but it happened. I absolutely do not know how to deal with burning sensation after a flea bite, so I decided to use the usual antiseptic. His actions last me for several hours, after which I repeat the procedure. Natalia, Kostroma
Feedback: I am not a supporter of self-medication and folk remedies, therefore, after the appearance of discomfort at the site of a flea bite, I immediately decided to go to the pharmacy. There they gave me a remedy that relieves itching after a bite of any insect, which turned out to be completely true, so I recommend it. Michael, Samara
You must take other measures in order to destroy them. To remove insects, you can purchase special aerosols, which need to process the entire room. And also carry out regular cleaning, which will serve as an excellent prevention.
Are fleas transmitted from dog to person?
Permanent companions of humans and domestic animals are insects of the Pulicidae family or common fleas. The wingless parasites living in the settlements differ in their “belonging” to a permanent carrier, however, each species is capable of biting people.
There is an opinion that fleas in dogs are dangerous for humans and it is really hard to refute them, but do not rush to extremes. The danger is conditional, and modern methods of prevention give a person enough tools to protect themselves and their pets.
Fleas are physically unable to transmit and live on the human body, their dark color contrasts too much with the fair skin of a person with a “poor” hairline, which guarantees the detection and death of the parasite.
Ways of defeat
Parasites do not look for difficult paths and do not crawl along clothes looking for an open area of the body. The sense of smell tells them when at a distance of a jump, there is a “suitable victim”, then it’s small: the flea jumps, punctures the skin of the wearer, injects an anesthetic secret and sucks blood. The whole process is repeated 3-4 times, which is why flea bites are located in “chains”.
A person becomes a victim of a bite in two cases: if he "runs into trouble", for example, while walking on tall grass in clothes that do not cover the skin or when parasites settle in the house.
The first option occurs through negligence or ignorance, but the second is based on a chain of actions. More often than not, fleas enter the home “arriving” on dogs or cats that have access to the street.
Apartments located on 1 floors, especially if a damp basement or an “air cushion” are also at risk under the floor — fleas “seep” into the house through cracks or “come” on rats and mice that move through ventilation shafts.
How to identify insects in the home
Are you biting your legs, especially at night, in the bathroom or other cool room in your home? Does your pet behave uneasily and begins to itch while playing or eating? It can be argued with a 80% probability that fleas are “adjacent” to you. If you were unable to catch the bloodsuckers at the crime scene, do the following simple test:
- Determine where in the apartment you are being attacked.
- Cover 1 sq.m. the floor with white sheets of paper.
- Leave the room and check the “trap” after 10-15 minutes.
- Do you see brown or black insects 2–4 mm long that “evaporate” when the paper is peeled? - Unfortunately, these are fleas!
What fleas can a dog bring to the house and how dangerous they are
Archaeologists have found that fleas are much older than the human race, and the parasite ancestors mutated and adapted to more difficult living conditions at record speeds. Parasites are found even beyond the Arctic Circle, what can we talk about species living in warm climatic zones.
Whether dog fleas are dangerous to humans depends on the type of parasite. According to the "population", urban parasites can be arranged in the following order, flea:
- Feline.
- The dog.
- Rat.
- Human
- Birds.
The type of the main carrier is clear from the name, however, parasites successfully drink the blood of all warm-blooded people, including humans. Cat flea occupies a leading position due to the high strength of the shell.
Apart from professional parasitologists, few will be able to distinguish “flea species” from the Pulicidae family. The list below includes the most common ailments carried by all types of fleas.
- Flea saliva allergy - found in most people, is expressed by itching, the formation of papules (bump from the bite), redness, in the acute stages - dermatitis, eczema, exacerbation of psoriasis.
- Tick-borne encephalitis is an inflammation of the meninges. More often tolerated by ixodid ticks.
- Sarcopsyllosis - is carried by an earthen flea. The parasite penetrates the skin and dies, which provokes severe inflammation and swelling. The disease is quite rare, found in hot climates.
- Brucellosis - affects the sexual, nervous, cardiac, musculoskeletal systems. Most often, the defeat occurs due to the consumption of infected meat, less often, is transmitted with a flea bite.
- Typhoid fever - accompanied by pain in different parts of the body, “ache” of the joints, rash, dry cough, vomiting. It is carried by fleas and lice, is treated successfully. Not to be confused with typhoid endemic, which is much less common, but also carried by fleas.
- Helminths - fleas carry eggs that enter the bloodstream when bitten.
- Tularemia - accompanied by inflammation of the lymph nodes, fever, symptoms of poisoning. It is carried by a mosquito, a tick, a horsefly, less often a flea.
- Plague - carried only by a tropical rat flea, which lives in a hot and humid climate (Asia, Africa, Latin America).
It is interesting
Cat fleas are so adapted to survival that they are able to displace the main species of parasites from the animal. For example, settling on a dog, cat flea actively multiplies and leaves no chance for other species. For this reason, all pets and people, most often, suffer precisely from cat fleas.
The “oldest” flea was discovered, “walled up” in amber, whose age exceeds 55 million years.
However, epidemiological spread is not possible due to progress in medicine, active vaccination in risk areas and successful treatment in the early and middle stages.
How a cat gets infected with fleas
Cat fleas are dangerous for humans - this statement haunts many people who have a furry pet. This statement is completely true: despite the parasites' inability to live without animals, fleas jump from cats to humans and can bite people, eating blood. Undoubtedly, the disease of a pet must be treated without fail.
Your pet may become infected as follows:
- The kitten will bring them from the street, and for this it is not necessary to have contact with yard animals, as the larvae are on the grass, on the bench, and in the sand - everywhere on the street.
- You can infect a pet too! Having been a guest, stroking an infected four-legged pet, you can deliver the parasites home. They and their larvae can be on carpets, bedding, furniture, so infection of a cat is not always the fault of the animal.
- From mom, too, infection occurs, and in most cases. If a pregnant cat suffers from a similar ailment, then it is better to treat it to lambing, saving small kittens from an unpleasant disease.
- Rodents can be dangerous carriers. Having hunted mice, your fluffy lump can become infected from them.
Despite the fact that fleas cannot live on the human body, this does not mean that they are absolutely harmless. Transmission of insects occurs through contact with an infected pet. Jumping fleas can travel significant distances - it’s worth stroking your pussy, as parasites can jump on you.
On the other hand, it is not necessary to have contact with the pet, the infection also successfully occurs through any surface where the cat was running, lying or playing. It is there that fleas remain waiting for their new victim.
Why fleas in cats are dangerous for humans
Are cat fleas dangerous to humans? Of course! And the point is not even the discomfort that they can deliver by biting the skin. The main danger is infection with serious diseases.
Fleas can carry diseases such as:
- Rash - with itchy skin and redness of the integument.
- Skin inflammation - massive dermatitis.
- Digestion problems (including vomiting) - when ingested with food.
- Brullez - damage to internal organs, fever, intoxication of the body with a fatal outcome.
- Creeping erythema - dead ulcers form, flaky integument, pale skin color.
- An allergic reaction - diarrhea, fever, anxiety, difficulty breathing, anaphylactic shock.
- Scarlet fever - intoxication, rash, damage to the digestive system, liver.
- Anthrax - hematomas, damage to internal organs, erosion, severe intoxication.
As can be seen from the above, fleas in a cat are dangerous for humans, they can lead to death, therefore, it is impossible to postpone treatment of a pet in a long box.
Signs of a human bite
The insect punctures the skin, starting to drink blood. It does not inject anesthetizing enzymes, so you can immediately feel the bite (it resembles an injection with a thin needle). When the insect gets drunk, it is disconnected from the wound. Blood does not flow out, but can form a small hematoma under the dermis.
The bite mark looks like redness with a small halo, flea saliva enzymes contribute to an allergic reaction, so the bite on the skin begins to itch, red dots appear, slight swelling, blisters.
Bites are usually localized in the area of the legs, characterized by a series (in several places at a distance of a couple of centimeters), and any parts of the body, including arms, neck, armpits, can be affected.
Control the appearance of pests by combing the cat regularly.
Treatment of cats and humans for bloodsuckers
In order to recover from fleas themselves, as well as to rid your pet of them, complex measures are required to prevent leaving any fleas or larvae at home, so that after a few days you do not have to unsuccessfully try to etch insects again.
Since the cat’s fleas are dangerous for humans and have good survivability, a phased work is ahead:
- Close the apartment and treat it with special preparations. All furniture must be moved so that there is not a single nook where the parasites lurk.
- All carpets are cleaned, clothes are shaken, hung out in the sun. Blankets, sheets and bedding are ventilated.
- If you live in a private house, then you need to process the yard territory (at least a few meters around the perimeter of the house).
- Then the litter or cage for the cat is disinfected, all the places where the animal likes to be, lie in the sun, bask in the grass. We must not forget about the car, if the pet was there.
- The animal is processed with a high-quality, effective drug.
- Indoor cleaning is carried out using disinfectants that prevent re-infection.
- In today's market there is a whole list of effective preparations for cats.
- You need to choose them not by bright packaging, but by the number of chemicals in the composition. Therefore, before buying, you need to carefully study all the labels.
You can treat a cat with a spray or aerosol, the main thing is to make sure that the product does not get into the eyes of the animal. After processing, the room is ventilated. One of the most effective drugs is Front Line.
You can also use special shampoo if the cat likes to swim. Veterinarians recommend pills or injections as a last resort pest control.
Flea Prevention
If regular preventive measures are taken, then you can prevent the suffering of the pet, avoid serious troubles, because fleas from cats are transmitted to humans.
The methods to avoid flea invasion include the purchase of a special collar that will not allow pests to settle in the cat’s hair. The collar will have to be changed regularly, as over time its effectiveness decreases.
Do not let the cat walk with domestic cats and roam around foreign territory, and when returning from guests where the pets live, be sure to wash your hands and inspect your clothes.
Fleas in a cat are dangerous for humans, they cause discomfort, are carriers of deadly diseases transmitted through the blood. Your furry pet suffers from this, so it is important, having noticed insects, to immediately apply comprehensive measures to exterminate them.
Not only harmful to animals
For some reason, it was always believed that fleas only threaten animals, because they are their owners. For a person, lice were a disaster. In fact, this is not so. Fleas are no less dangerous for humans.
Where there are pets, there are fleas. Another thing is how much their owners are aware of this and are actively fighting this evil.
Where are the parasites in the house?
They are brought by your favorite pets - cats and dogs. At the poultry yard in a private house is also restless - chicken flea is no less dangerous than dog or cat.
So, domestic animals living in an apartment or in a house drag on themselves these parasites that quickly multiply and infect not only animals. Their eggs and larvae fall into crevices, on carpets and upholstered furniture, and especially a lot of them on dog or cat litter.
In city houses, they can get into apartments from the basement, porch or from neighbors who keep animals. Since fleas are ready to feed on any blood, including human blood, they often attack people. Especially goes to young children.
It is very important to start the fight against parasites at the very beginning, when this does not require a lot of money and health problems do not begin among households.
Is flea dangerous for humans?
To begin with, we will determine what kind of "beast" it is. Flea refers to ectoparasites, that is, parasites that live on the surface of the body of its owner. It can be any animal, bird, or person.
This is a blood-sucking insect that, getting to food, pierces the skin. With saliva, an infection is introduced into the puncture site, the carrier of which the flea is.
In addition to infection, an enzyme is injected into the wound, which can become a powerful allergen, especially if the bites are frequent enough.
Infections
Infections, the carrier of which is a flea, are very serious. These are diseases such as:
- Bubonic plague;
- hepatitis;
- encephalitis;
- anthrax;
- typhoid.
The most common infection with endoparasites:
- worms;
- nematodes;
- ribbon worms;
- salmonellosis;
- fungal infections.
No less dangerous is listeriosis, which affects the human nervous and lymphatic systems. This is not to say that every insect is infected with these diseases, but the risk always remains. But each of them with its bite causes unpleasant, sometimes painful and far-reaching consequences.
Imagine what kind of infection a rat flea can transmit! This can be pseudotuberculosis, tularemia, myxomatosis, melioidosis and other, no less dangerous diseases.
The consequences of flea bites
Flea bites, especially multiple ones, can cause severe skin reactions, such as redness of the skin, swelling of the bite sites, severe itching. In some cases, flea dermatitis develops, which is treated very hard.
Bites can also cause a more violent reaction of the body in the form of swelling of the lymph nodes, an allergic reaction with an increase in temperature. With frequent meetings with fleas, with constant discomfort while waiting for their bites, people may experience phobias, neuralgia, and even nervous disorders.
How to fight?
The methods of control are simple - observe cleanliness and hygiene. If the culprits for the appearance of insects are your favorite animals, take action immediately. Cats and dogs also suffer from flea bites and also run the risk of getting sick. Rid them of parasites immediately until they populate your home.
If you cannot cope with fleas on your own, use chemical control agents or contact specialized services.
Reasons for transmitting fleas from cats to humans
There are several types of fleas, in cats, dogs, people - different species. Ctenocephalus telis parasitizes on cats, Ctenocephalus canis on dogs, and Pulex irritans in humans. Each species is adapted to a specific temperature and structure of the host skin, its blood composition, and other features. Cats have a body temperature of 38-39 degrees, they are inhabited by more heat-loving individuals.
But here is the moment: a fluffy pet can become an intermediate owner of a flea parasitizing on a person, fulfill the function of a fixed-route taxi. Visually determine the type of these blood-sucking parasites is impossible.
Common troubles
Fleas of any kind bite very painfully. By piercing the skin with sharp teeth, the insect injects first anesthetic, and then an enzyme that reduces blood coagulation.
Thanks to this double mechanism, bites are not felt for a while as a victim, the insect has the opportunity to drink plenty of blood from unhealed wounds, because it does not know in advance when it will be possible to refresh itself next time, so it eats up to the dump.
The victim lost a drop of blood, but received a dose of anesthetic and anticoagulant. These proteins are alien to the body, after a couple of minutes the places of bites will turn red, itching, burning will appear. Instinctively I want to start combing!
Numerous bites can disfigure the skin. More often the legs to the knees suffer, because the maximum height of the insect jump is half a meter. If insects attacked the bed, they bite the body.
Serious dangers
The main nuisance is not in these pink-red tubercles of bites, but in the risk of infection through the blood with serious infectious diseases. More than a hundred diseases, some of them deadly, are transmitted by bite:
- pulicosis: a rash accompanied by itching spreads throughout the body. Around the wounds, severe redness is possible - erythema, due to the expansion of capillaries;
- mass dermatitis: if fleas bite for a long time, then dermatitis develops - acute inflammation of the affected skin;
- dipilidosis: the entry of a flea into the digestive canal causes toxicosis, accompanied by an upset of appetite, nausea, vomiting, loose stools, bloating, and pallor of the skin;
- brucellosis: damage to all internal organs, the cardiovascular system, general intoxication, severe fever;
- creeping erythema: affects the skin and lymphocytes.Red erythema enlarges, turning into a large surface of dead peeling skin;
- pseudotuberculosis (scarlet fever): damage to the intestines, liver, rash on the body, intoxication;
- anthrax (anthrax): severe intoxication, skin erosion, hematomas, swollen lymph nodes, damage to internal organs.
If you keep a cat at home, put antihistamines and painkillers in the medicine cabinet to immediately prevent irritation.
To summarize: the consequences of feline parasite bites are varied, among them there are deadly. Even a violation of the aesthetics of the skin is unpleasant. This is an occasion to start fighting insects immediately, as soon as you find them, to regularly conduct prophylaxis with insecticides.
Is flea transmission from animals to humans possible?
Fleas are blood-sucking insects that live on mammals and birds. Most of them parasitize on specific species of animals, but at the same time easily change their owners. They do not bypass their attention to people.
All owners of four-legged pets need to study information about whether fleas pass from animals to people, whether they can appear in the house, what harm they cause, how to get rid of blood-sucking parasites.
Pet Flea Species
There are several types of blood-sucking parasites that live on animals, people, rodents. Each of these species is adapted to a certain temperature of the body, blood and other features of its "host". However, if there is none nearby, then the flea may be content with those warm-blooded animals or people who are nearby. What blood-sucking parasites live on pets?
Cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) - one of the most common species among the flea order. Their color varies from red to dark brown. On an animal, these insects look like particles of dirt, and only with their movement can we understand that these are fleas. Insect eggs look like white grains.
Sometimes black flea excrement, which remains on the coat and skin of the animal, is taken for eggs. The female insect does not lay eggs on the animal. The favorite places of masonry are floor gaps, upholstery of upholstered furniture, carpets and rugs. The body of a cat flea is covered with spikes and bristles, thanks to which it quickly moves along the hair of an animal.
How are fleas in a cat dangerous to humans? The fact that it is from them that a person suffers the most. These parasites bite dogs, cats, people. If they fed on the blood of an infected animal, it also absorbs pathogens. At the next bite, the insect transfers the pathogen to the new owner. Fleas from cats are transmitted to humans three times as often as canines.
(Ctenocephalides canis) - a dog flea. These blood-sucking animals choose warm-blooded animals as their victims. Therefore, dogs, cats, horses are ideal for them. Can dog fleas live on humans? No, but they will not refuse human blood in hungry times either.
Parasites have a flat body, flattened on the sides, covered with many bristles, ridges of flat teeth. They are perfectly adapted to life in settlements and are able to live without food for 2 months. But feline, sucking, human fleas can also live on dogs.
The jump length of a dog flea is 4 times the length of her vision, that is, she does not see where she is jumping.Animal fleas are very well adapted for life in their hair. They have a body length of 1 to 5 mm. The color of insects varies from straw to brown.
They have a flattened body on the sides with hairs and bristles, helping them to stay on the hair of the owner. Are dog fleas scary for people? One can’t expect anything good from such “guests”. These blood-sucking parasites hibernate under poor conditions, and can last without food for several months.
As soon as favorable conditions come, the insect wakes up and starts to jump on people, animals, constantly feeding on the blood of its victim. They can constantly change their "master", transferring various infections from sick animals to people.
Are fleas transmitted to humans?
Are fleas from cats transmitted to humans? Such a word as “transmitted” in this case will not be very true. The attack of the little "vampire" will be short-term and it will be aimed solely at satisfying the feeling of hunger. For this purpose only, parasites temporarily move to humans.
Fleas from animals pass to people as soon as they get hungry. Then they will attack anyone who is nearby and suitable as a source of blood. The most dangerous places for a person in which a painful flea bite awaits him are: dog kennels, animal litter, contaminated premises, cellars.
Most often fleas jump from cats to people. They dominate the flea niche. Even human and dog fleas bite much less frequently. In this case, a reasonable question arises: can a person become infected with fleas from a cat? Fortunately, no, these bloodsuckers cannot live in public, but they can bite.
To prevent the occurrence of flea bites, it is imperative to take measures to eliminate parasites from cat and dog hair. It is necessary to regularly treat animals, as well as their litter with special means (sprays, gels, shampoos), wear an anti-flea collar on them.
Signs of occurrence
Blood-sucking insects from the flea family bite very strongly. They do not have a proboscis to suck out blood, so they literally bite into the skin. In this case, the insect first punctures the skin with teeth and injects an anesthetic substance, and then an enzyme to reduce blood coagulation. At first, the victim does not feel a bite, and during this time the flea manages to get drunk with blood to the full.
After a few minutes, the bite will turn red, itching, burning will appear. Ranku will want to be scratched. This is because the anticoagulants and anesthetics injected by the blood-sucking insect are alien to the victim.
As a result of combing, red itchy spots form that disfigure the skin. Most often, fleas attack a person’s legs. But if insects settled in bed, then the whole body will be covered with bites.
Why are these insects dangerous?
Can a person get fleas from a dog? The blood-sucking people themselves will not live in public, they will prefer hidden places in soft dog bedding. Many people do not even suspect how fleas in dogs are dangerous to humans. The main threat is infections that are transmitted through the blood.
There are more than a hundred diseases that are transmitted as a result of their bites, some of them pose a mortal danger to humans.
These include:
- Dermatitis.
- Pulicosis is a disease associated with the appearance of an itchy rash that spreads throughout the body.
- Brucellosis - general intoxication, damage to internal organs.
- Dipylidosis. If the insect enters the digestive tract, then toxicosis will develop with nausea, vomiting.
- Scarlet fever-like or pseudotuberculosis, in which bowel damage occurs.
- Erythema. This disease affects lymphocytes and skin. Red erythema gradually increase in size and occupy a large area, turning the skin into a flaky surface.
All of the above diseases are already an answer to the question: are canine fleas dangerous for humans? Undoubtedly, the bites of blood-sucking parasites can cause serious harm to health, especially if before that they feasted on the blood of a sick animal.
How to prevent the appearance of fleas in the house?
The appearance of blood-sucking parasites in a residential building is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon. Often, fleas are transmitted to people from animals, so if there are cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs in the apartment, then preventive measures should be taken to prevent the appearance of fleas. To do this, observe a number of simple but important rules:
- Periodically, pets should be treated with special drops against fleas.
- After each walk, dogs must be washed with a special shampoo. All products are sold in veterinary pharmacies and in zoological stores.
- Coniferous sawdust should be added to the litter of the pet. Small bloodsuckers do not tolerate the smell of needles.
- Sometimes fleas on people pass from the basement. To protect your apartment from them, you should constantly maintain cleanliness in the house. You can wash the floors with a decoction of wormwood, bitter bleach or ammonia.
- It helps to prevent the appearance of blood-sucking parasites laid at the entrance of a rag soaked in bleach.
- Fleas do not like cold and sunshine. Therefore, the constant airing of the apartment, knocking out and drying in the sun blankets, rugs, carpets will protect the home from uninvited "guests".
To prevent a flea attack, both modern insecticidal and folk remedies (tar soap, citrus fruit essential oils) should be used. The main enemy of fleas is the cleanliness and freshness of the house.
Although even the simplest flea bites cause unpleasant red, itchy spots on the skin that cause aesthetic discomfort. Therefore, it is necessary to fight parasites, to conduct ongoing prevention in animals with insecticidal drugs. The home medicine cabinet should always have painkillers and antihistamines.
Are cat fleas dangerous to humans?
Fleas are insects that have poisoned animals from time immemorial. It is not easy to fight them, because these parasites are able to multiply extremely quickly and live without food for up to two months.
Most often, cats and dogs suffer from fleas. But despite the fact that the bloodsuckers are so comfortable living in the warm coat of animals, when the opportunity arises, they easily switch to a person and parasitize on him. These parasites may well be harmful to health.
Sources of occurrence
From a domestic cat. There are several types of fleas, but most often people are bitten by cats. If a cat has free access to the street, then from there it can bring a pest on itself, picking it up from another animal or from the ground.
From neighboring rooms, basement. For the appearance of blood-sucking parasites, the presence of a pet is not necessary. Pests can enter the dwelling from the basement, in which rats or homeless cats can live. The most dangerous basement fleas for people occupying the first floors of apartment buildings.
After all, jumping parasites cost nothing to overcome such a close distance and get into the porch, and from there - into the apartments of the residents. A person may not realize that he brought the pests to his home on shoes or clothes from the street or the landing.
From other pet owners. He can also bring cat fleas on himself from a friend who has a cat infected with these parasites.
How are they harmful to humans?
The bloodsuckers that are transmitted from cats to humans can cause severe harm to both psychological and physical health. The very realization that the parasite can jump on the skin at any moment and bite can cause tension and anxiety.
Pain with bites and itching after them have a bad effect on overall well-being and mood. Pests can “attack” at night, as a result of which sleep disturbance and insomnia can develop.
The thing is that the saliva of parasites contains a special enzyme that prevents blood coagulation. It is he who is a strong allergen, which can lead to rashes throughout the body and other negative manifestations.
These parasites are most dangerous in that they can be carriers of diseases such as encephalitis, plague, typhoid, hepatitis, etc. But this applies more to pests that live on rats. The most likely harm that can be obtained from cat fleas is infection of a person with eggs of roundworm, flukes and other worms.
The main symptoms of bites
As a rule, cat fleas do not live on the host permanently. They jump on a person only in order to feast on blood.
Therefore, the main confirmation of the appearance of these pests is the bites on the victim’s body, which can be distinguished from the bites of other insects using the signs described below.
Burning and pain during a bite. In the saliva of this insect does not contain anesthetizing enzyme, unlike bugs and mosquitoes. As a result, when a flea sticks to the skin and drinks blood, a person immediately feels it. Fleas do not need to mask their bite with an analgesic, because even if an insect is seen, it is unlikely to catch it.
Bites appear regardless of the time of day. Unlike bed bugs that “attack” a prey exclusively at night, cat fleas can bite during the day.
Localization of bites. Most often, bloodsuckers “attack” the lower leg, lower back, as well as places with especially delicate skin, such as the neck and waist. Bites are usually located in a line. However, if there are a lot of parasites in the room, then they can bite the whole body.
As a result of a flea bite, allergic reactions, seals, redness, and small hematomas can appear in the affected area.
It is necessary to remove itching and irritation as soon as possible with folk remedies (a weak solution of baking soda, parsley juice, decoction of green tea) or medicines (Salve ointment, Nezulin cream-gel).
Prevention of occurrence
Better to prevent the appearance of bloodsuckers than to fight them. Below are the main measures for the prevention of fleas.
- Use an insecticidal collar for cats or dogs. This will prevent the appearance of bloodsuckers on animals.
- Regularly examine cats (dogs) for fleas.
- Treat the space near the front door with a long-acting insecticidal agent. For this, the chalk of Mashenka is quite suitable. Such prevention should be done because flea eggs can be brought on shoes.
- Regular cleaning of the apartment.Fleas of cats like to live in carpets, as well as in places where there is litter or trash. It is there that they lay their eggs, so you need to regularly vacuum the floor, carpets, furniture and do wet cleaning.
- If fleas appear in domestic cats or dogs, you need to act immediately.
Special drops and flea shampoos will help here. It is advisable to etch the parasites from the cat before they have time to "attack" its owner, because they are transmitted to humans very quickly.
In order to save himself and his beloved animal from the invasion of bloodsuckers, it is necessary to follow preventive measures. If this did not help, and cat fleas began to parasitize residents, you should immediately begin to destroy harmful insects. Then the owner and his beloved pets will be calm and happy.
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