Do fleas go from cat to person and how to deal with it?

Good day! When I was little, my parents in every possible way forbade me to contact homeless animals, although I loved them very much.

They frightened me that I would be covered in fleas and lice because of them. Only with time did they retreat and did not bother me.

But now, many people do not know the real state of things. Want to know if fleas are moving from cat to person? Should you avoid contact with animals? In the article below I want to touch on this topic and analyze it in detail.

Are cat fleas dangerous to humans?

Cats, like all warm-blooded animals, are attacked by various ectoparasites, that is, parasites that live on the surface of the animal’s body. Fleas are one of the most famous and noticeable insects that live in the hair of mammals.

Often they visit our purring favorites. Let us examine in more detail whether it is worth fearing flea infection from your pet and whether cat fleas are dangerous for humans.

What parasites live on a cat

Many animals have “their” types of fleas that feel good only on the owner of the desired species - they are adapted to a certain body temperature and blood composition of the animal that gives them shelter.

In cats, a parasitic species whose name in Latin sounds like Ctenocephalides Felis - “cat flea”. These parasites feel great on the cat’s body, drink cat’s blood and breed actively among the hair.

Dogs, rodents, and humans have their own flea species, but they can temporarily end up on a cat, just as cat fleas often jump on other animals, including humans.

Are they transmitted to humans?

So, you probably already realized that cat fleas can switch to humans in two cases:

1. if a human flea (Pulex irritans) accidentally appears on an animal;
2. if the pet has extensive infection with fleas of its kind, which will bite a person in search of food.

Cat flea does not favor human skin too much: there is not enough hair on it, moreover, our body temperature is lower than that which the parasite needs for normal metabolism.

Recall that the body temperature of a healthy cat is 38–39 ° С, while in humans it normally does not exceed 37 ° С - the difference is quite significant.In addition, a person is noticeably a larger creature with thicker skin.

Can cat fleas bite a person? Of course, yes, which causes a lot of inconvenience, and can also cause some dangerous diseases.

Now, even in a metropolis, many people suffer from bites of cat parasites - fleas of cats bite people even in those apartments where pets never went outside in their life. Harmful insects enter the house through ventilation and from the cellars inhabited by stray cats and rats.

Symptoms of a person bite a cat flea

Flea bites are quite unpleasant, and they can be distinguished from other insect bites by the following signs:

Bite marks can be very large, it depends on the sensitivity of the person, but as a rule they pass within a few days.

Each owner should be aware that many parasites living in cats are transmitted to humans.

What is dangerous for a human cat bloodsuckers

What a flea infestation threatens a cat, we considered in the article “If your cat has got fleas”. But is such a neighborhood dangerous for humans if parasites cannot live on our body?

Irritation that occurs in areas affected by fleas is called pulicosis. In addition, the bites of these insects can lead to some unpleasant consequences, such as:

• allergy to flea bites (up to severe reactions requiring medical attention);
• worm infection: fleas - carriers of tape helminths and nematodes;
• some infectious diseases caused by bacteria that are dangerous to humans (bartonellosis, Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis).

And these are just diseases carried by cat fleas. Do not forget about such terrible human diseases as plague and typhoid, epidemics of which were spread by other types of these parasites.

Therefore, it is best to periodically check your pet for fleas and apply prevention methods. Earlier we wrote about what means for fleas exist today, how they differ and how to use them.

Do fleas pass from cats to humans

Everyone loves cats, and for many people these animals live in a house. But, in addition to joy, they can bring parasites to the apartment. Fleas in a cat are dangerous for humans, they have a detrimental effect on their health and can infect a variety of serious diseases.

It is always important to monitor the health status of your pet and carry out all the necessary preventions for its well-being.

Causes of infection

Cat fleas, very living insects.They multiply rapidly and get used to various environmental conditions, are able to live for a long time without a host and his blood, which is necessary for his normal life.

A pet may become infected:

• with a normal walk on the street;
• in contact with infected relatives or dogs;
• when hunting rats and mice;
• people themselves bring larvae and adult fleas into their house, they are fixed on clothes and shoes;
• kittens become infected from their mom.

Signs of Pet Parasite

By the behavior of the pet, its condition can determine the presence of parasites.

Among them are:

In severely neglected cases, the pet rapidly loses weight, it loses its hair, bald spots form. Quite often, an allergic reaction develops - dermatitis.

How fleas are transmitted from cat to man

Fleas cannot be transmitted from cat to person. Due to the lack of hair in humans, fleas simply have nowhere to live. But, they can cause significant harm to human health.

Fleas can jump from cats to humans in direct contact with an animal, which is simply inevitable. Adult fleas remain on the carpet, blanket, bedding, human clothes, and thus get to him.

It is uncharacteristic for these pests to live on a cat. They, as soon as they drank blood, immediately accelerate, and as soon as they get hungry, they are looking for a new owner. And there is a high probability that he will become a man.

Danger of the parasite to humans

In addition, fleas bite a person, they are dangerous to his health. Their danger depends on whether they had previously fed on the blood of an animal that suffers from some kind of disease. Is there a danger that cat fleas are somehow transmitted to humans? Naturally, yes!

Cats from the street can bring absolutely any parasites into the house, the bites of which can provoke the appearance of the following diseases:

1. dermatitis. This is a strong inflammation of the skin of a person, which occurs with frequent and multiple bites of parasites;
2. pulicosis is a severe skin lesion by bites. It causes intolerant itching and redness;
3. anthrax - significant damage to internal organs, which is accompanied by severe blood loss and ulcers;
4. violation of the digestive system, not the perception of food by the body;
5. erythema - the formation of sores that die and peel. Blanching of the skin is noted;
6. severe rash. It can manifest itself with various rashes, itching and redness;
7. fever - a characteristic rash, intoxication of the body, serious damage to the liver and some organs of the herbal tract.

Also, some fleas from cats transmitted to humans are carriers of the following diseases:

During the transmission of fleas from cats to humans, the latter can acquire complex illnesses, even death.

Signs that a person has been bitten

These parasites bite through the skin and drink human blood. For them, the release of anesthetic is uncharacteristic, and the person immediately feels a slight pain from a bite.

Flea bite marks can be easily identified.

They are characterized by:

• redness that has a halo;
• bites itch;
• the presence of red dots;
• a slight swelling is visible;
• blisters may occur.

Quite often, bites are localized on the legs of a person, namely on the ankle, the distance between them is several centimeters. Also, fleas bite people on: arms, neck, arms and armpits.

Flea treatment

Of course, it is necessary to remove these parasites from the cat, from all the objects that it touched and from the apartment completely. These are complex, long-lasting measures, thanks to which you need and can rid your home of fleas and prevent their further appearance.

It will not be easy to get rid of them.

To do this, do the following:

1. to close the house, to process with special solutions absolutely all furniture, as well as floors. To tear and weather blankets, bedding, sheets, pillows, all clothing, towels and more;
2. if you have a private house, then you need to process the land;
3. Do not forget about the personal belongings of the cat. All his clothes, carrying, bedding, scratching post, house are also carefully processed;
4. if the cat drives a car with you, then the vehicle also needs processing;
5. in the room you need to carry out a general cleaning with disinfectants;
6. Of course, it is necessary to treat both the cat and all affected family members.

For animals, there are many drugs that can quickly and effectively cure them of fleas. They are sold in the form of drops, shampoos, powders, sprays, aerosols.

The most important thing is to correctly comply with all the conditions of the instructions that are attached to the medicine. Otherwise, the cat can succumb to intoxication, cause severe side effects and death.

Some actions that a person should take if he has discovered flea bites:

This is the first medical aid if a person was bitten by cat fleas. The main event is a mandatory visit to the doctor. During the examination and examinations, you need to make sure that there are no diseases that carry fleas.

Fleas can be transmitted from cats to humans, but each owner must know the measures that must be taken in this case.

Are fleas from cats transmitted to humans?

Among parasitic insects that a person has to face directly or indirectly in his life, flea indisputable leadership. Feline and canine, they are adapted to survive much better than other tiny inhabitants on earth.

You can get infected with them, despite all the precautions that the owners try to follow. It is quite difficult to get rid of these insects if fleas have already appeared in a cat.

What threaten a person?

In addition to the annoying "neighborhood", these creatures are capable of causing a lot of problems not only to animals. They really go to people and can “reward” with unpleasant problems with unpredictable consequences.

It is not surprising that owners of tetrapods, as a rule, try to get rid of the potential danger in the form of bloodsucking in cats or dogs as soon as possible.

Surely from history, many remember the terrifying events of the Middle Ages, when almost half of the population of the Old World died from the bubonic plague, the carriers of which are fleas.

You should not panic.The likelihood of a pet getting fleas does not mean that cats should not have a place in a human house. If only because not all types of fleas that live on cats can pass to humans.

In addition, four-legged domestic animals are not bitten by parasites that transmit such a terrible disease as the plague. Therefore, you should not be afraid of such bloodsucking, but it is necessary to fight them without fail.

Species of parasites present in pet hair

By convention, the most common and common types of these arthropod insects in Europe can be divided into three types:

• feline;
• canine;
• human.

Both those and others may appear on our body, however only the last type is able to remain for permanent residence.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that fleas in cats are transmitted to humans and infect them at times more often than other types of insects, better adapted in a parasitic form of human existence.

How do fleas from animals get to humans?

How high the likelihood of defeating people with cat fleas can be understood based on the characteristics of the parasite being shared with a new host. For example, an ordinary furry pet, walking somewhere in the garden or on the street, performs a transport function for an insect. Fleas can make incredible wide leaps in exploring a new territory.

Caught on an unfamiliar area of ​​wool, the parasite moves slowly along an unexplored surface. But when the cat returns home, he manages to get rid of those insects for whom he is not a comfortable and most suitable carrier.

At the same time, the human body uncovered with thick hair is not quite the conditions that fleas need to live: there they can’t hide anywhere.

If the parasites began to actively attack the family members living in the house, then they were hungry or it was time for their maximum physical activity.

Cat's resting place - flea nursery

Typically, cat fleas, fed up and saturated with the blood of an animal, leave their usual carrier to lay eggs. For this purpose, a place with high humidity and without access to sunlight is suitable for them. Some species groups of parasites reproduce their own kind directly on the host.

Meanwhile, jumping insects, staying next to the egg laying for some time, can attack a passing “victim”, including a person who does not always feel how he is bitten.

In general, it should be noted that parasites jumping on a person can not be found so often, for example, in the case when the pet has not only cat fleas.

Having brought home insects dangerous to humans, the cat is located, as usual, at its favorite resting place, and at this time human fleas are located nearby, waiting for the long-awaited owner. And so, as soon as a guest approaches a cat's house, the parasite, smelling its smell of sweat or breathing, attacks.

Signs of flea "attacks"

To get rid of fleas that claim to be a human host is much harder than to prevent their appearance in the house.

If a pet has previously undergone special chemical treatment and constantly wears an anti-flea collar, its chances of infection are minimal, which means that it’s most likely that uninvited guests cannot appear in the house.

To understand that parasites have come to the home, the owner can by the following symptoms:

It is worth noting that it is almost impossible to feel the very moment of the bite. When fleas bite, along with salivary fluid, a natural pain medication, produced by themselves, enters the body. This element is quite allergenic, due to its entry into the upper layers of the epidermis, and severe itching develops.

You should especially be attentive to crevices, holes and cracks where fleas can hide, otherwise you will not be able to completely get rid of them. For high-quality processing of the premises from insects, it is advisable for family members and pets to leave its walls.

Are cat fleas dangerous for humans?

We all know about the expression that fleas are transmitted from animals to humans. And this statement is absolutely true. Fleas are really capable of jumping from a pet to a person and biting him.

It is important to understand that the term transmitted in this context is not entirely correct.

As for fleas that can pass to a person, for example, from a cat, this saying is not correct.

How do fleas behave relative to cats and humans?

Fleas most often settle on the body of a pet. It is logical that next to a person most often live cats, or dogs, and possibly both of them together.

So here. Adapting to the body of the insect, the flea on it feels very comfortable. And all because the animal is not able to get a flea out of its hair on its own.

Thus, diversify your diet with new taste sensations. In this case, a person suffers, yes, but the flea does not remain in this case to live on a person. Because fleas are more attached to convenient food sources. And what can a person do against a flea?

Of course, catch it, and crush it. Animals (except monkeys) are deprived of this opportunity, so the flea returns to its convenient victim, leaving the human body.

Does the parasite migrate to a human carrier?

Definitely yes. We understand what a flea bite is, and how the bite process occurs. What is hidden under the bite. First of all, it is the penetration of emulsions through a flea’s blood-sucking organ, which the flea picks up in the body of another animal.

Thus, if the animal source is sick before it, and then fleas appear on the cat, then these microbes, microorganisms, infections can be transmitted by a flea to a person in the form of a bite. Contact is short but can be very dangerous.

An example in history when a flea bite after an animal bite has become deplorable to humans.

Bubonic plague, which is transmitted from a rat to a person through a flea bite

We have all heard of such an episode in history as: The epidemic of bubonic plague in Europe. At that time, 1/3 of the people who inhabited the European parts of the earth died.What served so large-scale extinction of people. First of all, this is of course sanitation.

Dirt, no desire to wash, garbage - a great source for the emergence of all kinds of infections. So at that time, infections were directly "teeming" in Europe. And thanks to a certain way of life, Europe also suffered from rats.

Fleas also settled on rats, and felt very comfortable there. Such fleas are referred to as “rat fleas.” Rats, as we know, are ideal carriers of infections.

The carrier of the infection, the rat — after being bitten by a flea — continued to run across Europe, while the flea that bit the rat moved to the person and introduced rats into the body after the bite.

Therefore, speaking about the possibility of being infected with an infection after being bitten by a cat bug, it can be safely stated that there is a danger, it is real. It is only necessary to analyze and understand how potentially dangerous cats can get sick.

Are fleas transmitted from dog to person?

Fleas often attack pets. These small insects bring tangible discomfort, causing itching, eczema, and transferring various infectious diseases. So, today we will talk about how to get rid of fleas in animals, and find out whether fleas are transmitted from cats and dogs to humans.

Scientists suggest that fleas originated about ten million years ago from flying insects. More viable were those individuals who, living on the body of their "master", lost their wings. Therefore, the winglessness of fleas today is explained by their parasitic way of life.

The body structure of fleas is adapted to movement in the coat of the animal “host” - it is strongly compressed from the sides and is so strong that it can withstand the claws of animals. One must possess great dexterity in order to split his “shell”.

The transition from one owner to another is easily carried out by active crawling when meeting the “master” animals or by jumping in places of their permanent habitat, since the hind legs of fleas are hopping.

In order to jump onto a dog or cat running past, the flea must move with an acceleration 140 times the acceleration of gravity (9.8 m / s).

(For reference: in a person, bones begin to break even at twentyfold acceleration.) Such jumping ability is ensured by the content of resilin, a special protein substance, in their bodies.

At first glance, a specialist can determine who is a potential victim of a particular individual. Fleas can exist and breed normally on animals suitable for them.

Fleas pose a great danger as carriers of human and animal diseases, such as the plague, which affects rodents, camels and other species of animals, as well as typhoid, tularemia, rickettsioses; fleas are intermediate hosts of the causative agent of dipyldiosis in dogs, cats, and humans.

Nowadays, if a person complains about flea bites, then, most likely, a troublemaker is a cat flea (Ctenocephalus telis), which, in addition to cats, can live on dogs and hedgehogs.Feline fleas are quite comfortable with modern conditions, and even in our relatively hygienic homes, she feels just fine.

Dog fleas parasitize on dogs (Ctenocephalus canis). Parasites are transmitted to puppies from their mothers. Fleas on dogs are more likely to occur under unsatisfactory conditions of detention of the latter and malnutrition.

Fleas, being hematophagous, pierce the skin during bloodsucking and inject saliva, which has toxic properties. Flea bites cause itching. Combing leads to the development of dermatitis.

Until now, entomological scientists are puzzling over the question of how to get rid of fleas pestering pets and humans. Any apartment in which an animal starts is a shelter for fleas. In order to get rid of them, you need to understand their life cycle.

Flea life cycle

The life cycle of a flea is divided into four stages:

• An adult female flea needs blood to mate and lay eggs, and it attacks the most suitable host - your animal. After a 23-day feeding period, an adult female flea begins to lay eggs. Fleas are extremely prolific: an adult female lays up to 50 eggs a day! For the naked eye, flea eggs look like grains of salt. A fertilized female throws eggs with force, usually in portions of a few pieces so that they do not remain on the animal’s hair, but fall to the ground or place that they constantly visit.
• Legless larvae hatch from eggs. Using a special “egg tooth”, they, as it were, cut the shell of the egg to get out. The larvae feed on the isolation products (semi-digested blood) of adult fleas and various decaying organic residues for 4-8 days.
• The larva spins a thick cocoon, providing its ideal protection from environmental factors and from insecticides.
• A doll, being in a cocoon, will develop into an adult insect that will not go outside until it feels the proximity of the "owner". Thus, the duration of the puppet stage is several days or months, depending on environmental conditions.

An adult is born into light, reacting to carbon dioxide, heat and vibration created by animals and people. Coming out of the cocoon, she is ready to restart the life cycle and go through it in three weeks.

Cat and Dog Bloodsuckers

Fleas are external parasites living on the skin of their victim. Fleas bites of cats and dogs is a widespread problem. But did you know that cats and dogs are most often affected by cat fleas?

Fleas create problems for both animals and their owners. Cat and dog fleas affect not only cats, dogs and humans, but also many other animals. Mostly cat fleas affect people.

The difference between a cat flea and a dog flea is minimal. The female of both species is about 2.5 mm long. The male is slightly smaller than the female. The head of a female cat flea is almost two times longer than its height, and the head of a female dog flea is two times shorter than its height.

The larvae of cat and dog fleas are almost twice as long as adults. Particles of dried blood, excrement, and various organic particles that accumulate in the affected areas provide enough nutrition for rapidly growing larvae.

With a very strong infection, a large number of gray larvae and white eggs become so noticeable that there is no doubt about infection.

You can remove adult fleas from cats and dogs, and the eggs will remain.Larvae emerge from eggs after about 14 days, depending on humidity. A flea lives less than two months, but a female flea usually lays more than 2,000 eggs.

There is another interesting fact. Fleas can jump to a height 100 times their body height. They can bounce 15 cm high and attach to skin or clothing.

Infection with fleas often causes secondary infections. When a dog or cat is infected with fleas, the help of a veterinarian is required, who will tell you effective control measures.

Animals are prone to flea saliva allergies, which often leads to flea allergic dermatitis. Symptoms of dermatitis: swelling, unbearable itching, red, tiny bumps on the skin, thickening of the skin, redness of the skin, hair loss, bald patches. Cat and dog fleas can bite people.

How to get a flea out of a dog

Fleas are extremely inventive insects. They prospered on our planet long before people appeared on it, and it is very difficult to defeat them.

When choosing a drug, it is necessary to take into account the duration of its action, activity against sexually mature and immature fleas, toxicity to the animal’s body, cost. The action of an insecticide depends not only on its shape and quality, but also on application to the skin of an animal.

For the purpose of prevention, healthy dogs are not exposed to invasive dogs, they observe the rules for caring for animals and keeping them, and monthly examine the skin of dogs.

If fleas are detected, not only the dogs themselves are treated with insecticides, but also the premises, objects that the invaded animals came into contact with.

Cat lice

Lice are small wingless insects with a flattened body. They are specific to the host. Unlike other external parasites, cat lice cannot live or move in the environment. They spend the entire life cycle on the host animal. There are several types of lice. In cats, Felicola subrostratus most often parasitizes.

The presence of lice is dangerous for the pet. With severe infection, they cause:

Cat eczema. Severe lice infestation can lead to miliary dermatitis, or feline eczema. With it, numerous vesicles and bumps form on the skin of the cat, under them is inflamed skin. The affected areas of the skin are very itchy, the cat combes them, an infection is introduced into the wounds. This course of the disease is only exacerbated.

Lice are also carriers of helminth eggs. As a result of this, helminthiases and general exhaustion are attached to skin lesions in an infected animal. Lice spend most of their time attaching their paws to the base of the hair of an infected cat. They feed on the epidermis, secretions of the sebaceous glands and blood.

Female lice lay eggs called nits. During life, the female parasite lays 20-60 eggs and fixes them to the basal part of the hair.

In large quantities, lice in a cat accumulate on the head, neck and at the base of the tail. These parasites infect pets of all breeds except hairless cats. Most often they are found in animals with long and dense hair.

Symptoms of infection

The problem of infection with lice is especially relevant for cats, which from time to time go for a walk on the street.Communicating with his relatives, a pet can easily "catch" an unpleasant disease.

The following symptoms indicate whether your cat has lice.

You can find out about cat infection with lice by carefully examining the skin and coat of the pet. Nits and adults of these parasites are visible to the naked eye.

Shampoos from external parasites Special zoo shampoos from ectoparasites are detrimental to lice. After soaping the animal, the shampoo should be kept on the pet for at least 10 minutes and only then rinse thoroughly.

Then the cat is recommended to comb and dry. If a pet calmly tolerates the bathing procedure, then washing with a zoo shampoo will not give him unpleasant sensations.

Collars against fleas, lice, ticks Collars destroy lice on the animal and protect against re-infection of the pet. However, often with constant wearing of such a collar, an allergic reaction occurs in animals.

Lice in a domestic cat: are they transmitted to humans?

Lice parasitize cats and can only be transmitted from one animal to another. Cat lice are not contagious to humans.

To treat cat lice:

Drops at the withers. Drops are applied at the base of the skull or along the spine. The procedure takes only a few minutes. The drug usually not only helps get rid of existing cat lice, but also helps protect the pet from new attacks of parasites.

Sprays The spray moistens the animal’s hair. With this treatment, extreme care must be taken not to damage the animal. After applying the product, wait until it dries and make sure that the animal does not lick it.

For this purpose, it is recommended to wear a protective collar. Also, sprays are used to destroy parasites in the room and animal resting areas (houses, sofas, armchairs).

Lice eaters

Lice beetles are specific to their owners (mammals). In dogs, the dog lice parasitizes, in cats, the feline.

Lice-eaters of dogs and cats are small insects (1.5–3 mm) devoid of wings. Unlike lice, lice eat hair and epidermal flakes. The lifespan of a lizard is 1–2 months.

Canine lice-eater is an intermediate host of cestodes (a species of worms) - cucumber tapeworm.

The control and prophylaxis measures for the defeat of dogs (cats) by lice eaters are the same as against lice. It is good to ventilate the apartment and disinfect objects of the external environment (bed for animals, etc.). Be sure to wash the animals with special shampoos.

In order to relieve skin itching and prevent scratching, reddened areas of the skin can be smeared with gels or ointments “Lorinden”, “Flucinar”. It is better to use gels, as their light base is absorbed faster and does not leave oily spots on the wool.