Do fleas live on humans and what harm can they cause?

Good day! When was the last time in the city, I observed an interesting situation.

A young mother was walking in front of me with her daughter, about six years old. And then the girl saw a homeless dog, ran to him and wanted to pet.

But mother pulled her daughter away and said that the dog was flea and the girl could pick up these parasites. They hastened to quickly move away from this place. Want to know if fleas live on humans? Can they bite and how to get rid of them? Then read about it in the article below.

Can fleas live in human hair

There are several types of ectoparasites annoying people. One of them is fleas. Their miniature size and incredible jumping ability make it possible with impunity to make your bloody meal and retire home.

Insects are carriers of dangerous diseases and therefore many are wondering if fleas live on humans and what species bite a person.

Fleas and humans have been fighting an irreconcilable struggle throughout their existence. Preventive measures and an extensive arsenal of means to combat parasites allow homo sapiens to emerge from the battle as the winner.

Parasite habitats

There are about 2000 species of fleas. In the temperate European climate, cat, dog, rat, and human fleas are predominantly found. All of them are characterized by tiny sizes of 1-5 mm, a dark brown body color.

The species affiliation is determined by the localization of parasites. But all these species can easily switch from one animal to another.

But the question is, do fleas jump from animals to humans, the answer is yes. Insects during the jump themselves do not realize where they are jumping. They are guided by the smell and temperature fluctuations, so there is nothing surprising in the fact that fleas sit on people.

For the most part, parasites feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, and humans become as attractive to them as other animals.

It’s wrong to say that fleas pass to a person. Parasites attack, bite. Transition can be viral, bacterial infections, with respect to insects, this phrase is incorrect.

Having mastered, they create their settlements in places where dogs or cats are kept, and if measures are not taken to destroy them, they subsequently occupy the entire living space.

A large number of parasites live in cellars inhabited by rodents in garbage dumps. After deratization, fleas that have lost their hosts begin to actively seek a new source of nutrition. Therefore, they are often attacked by residents of lower floors or people walking up the porch. So animal fleas on a person get into the apartment.

The concept of “flea markets” appeared by chance. In the Middle Ages, when unsanitary conditions reigned, various living creatures, including moths, bugs, and fleas, were found in dwellings.

Most of the goods sold by the junk workers were eaten by moths and swarmed with fleas. By purchasing a little thing, the buyer was never safe from the fact that he would not bring any parasite into the house.

What species attack a person

For the most part, all types of blood-sucking insects got their name from a particular animal. However, there is a separate species that is closely associated with humanity - this is a human flea. These individuals prefer human blood.

Fleas are rarely found on a person’s head; their favorite places are exposed areas of the body, mainly legs. This choice is not due to the taste of blood in this part of the body, but to the height of the jump. An adult is not able to jump above 50 cm.

They create their colonies in secluded dark places. The only difference between this flea and the rest is its incredible fertility. If a female feline or canine replenishes the ranks of the colony for 500 individuals, then this species lays up to 1000 eggs.

Dog fleas on humans are much less common than cat fleas. The latter are more widespread, and even most often they are in dogs.

Only a highly specialized specialist can detect visual differences through a microscope. However, it does not matter to the ordinary victim which of the representatives of the flea family he was bitten by and having determined for himself that a person can have fleas indirectly, he begins to look for ways to get rid of them.

But it’s unusual for fleas to create their own colonies on the victim’s body. Their reproduction occurs outside the "carrier". The female adheres to the principle that “eggs are not stored in one basket” and therefore does not lay them in one place.

The female fertilized individual literally squeezes the embryos from itself during movement, and they scatter throughout the space. This method increases the chance of preserving the offspring.

In the stage of eggs, future parasites stay from 10 to 14 days. White blind larvae appear from the eggs, resembling caterpillars in appearance. During this period, they do not need blood and feed on the results of vital functions of adults, organic waste. Larvae live in secluded places and remain invisible to humans.

The specificity of bites is another reason why parasites cannot live on the human body. An adult gnaws at the skin and literally with his head penetrates into the wound. During flea bites, painkillers are not injected, so their attack cannot go unnoticed.Only incredible mobility and jumping ability helps parasites survive.

Dangerous member of a flea family

An exception from all representatives of the flea family can be called a sand flea, which lives in the tropics. In her regard, it is quite appropriate to say that fleas also live in humans.

An ulcer with a pronounced swelling appears at the site of the lesion. Egg maturation lasts from 5 to 7 days, after which the female shoots them, wrinkles and most often dies, remaining in the epithelium. In rare cases, a female is able to lively leave the wound.

Can these insects live in humans?

So, do ordinary fleas live on humans? Such insects are temporary ectoparasites. They feed on the blood of their masters, which are warm-blooded creatures. There are several varieties of such pests, and one of them is human fleas.

They prefer to bite a person, he is for them the primary source of food. But this does not mean that these insects are not afraid of animals, if people are not around, then they can bite other warm-blooded animals.

The same can be said about cat, dog, chicken and other fleas. They may well attack a person, if there are no other sources of food nearby, it is vital for them. And since these parasites feed on blood, it is clear that they can not only be on a person, but also actively bite him.

But can fleas be on the body of their master constantly, that is, live on it? Not. They are temporary ectoparasites, that is, they move to a potential food source only in order to receive the next portion of blood.

Then they leave the body and begin to prepare for the laying of eggs, namely to look for secluded places. Pests that feed on the blood of domestic animals usually leave clutches in bedding, booths and other objects, sometimes they live in them.

Human fleas can leave eggs in clothes and furniture. There they are usually located and practically live until the next "invasion" of the person. But it will happen in any case, since these insects can do without food for only a day.

How do fleas get to humans?

The considered parasites can jump quite high thanks to the powerful hind legs and due to this move to impressive distances. Therefore, infection may not require direct and close contact.

They can get into the apartment from the basement (some species live on mice and rats), and they can get into the house from the yard, for example, from a barn (cattle and poultry can also be carriers of such pests).

How to recognize

How to understand that your body has or has fleas? This can be ascertained by several signs. Traces of the presence of fleas can be recognized by bites, because they cannot live long without blood and will certainly receive it.

They can be localized on almost any part of the body: arms, scalp, neck, back, legs, stomach. Bites look like red spots with small burgundy dots approximately in the middle (these are places of puncture of the skin) and can be accompanied by unpleasant symptoms: burning, hyperemia, severe itching, swelling.

If you're lucky, you can see the insects themselves.The flea has an elongated and flattened laterally body and three pairs of paws (the hind ones are the most powerful and long, they are used for jumping). Color varies from light to dark brown. The dimensions are small, they do not exceed 2 - 3 mm.

If desired, you can consider flea eggs. Human pests lay them in linen, clothes and furniture, and cat or dog pests usually in bedding, toys. They look like small whitish grains.

Are these insects dangerous to humans?

Can fleas not only live in humans, but also harm them? Firstly, they do not inject anesthetizing substances before the bite, so the victim feels a puncture in the skin and experiences discomfort or pain.

Thirdly, bites can provoke the development of a severe allergic reaction, and if they are numerous, this can lead to Quincke's edema or even anaphylactic shock.

How to protect yourself?

How to avoid becoming a victim of fleas? It is almost impossible to protect yourself from such parasites by 100%, because they are not picky in choosing food sources, can travel considerable distances and penetrate into apartments and houses almost unhindered.

But to reduce the likelihood of meeting with “uninvited guests”, try to avoid garbage dumps and other places of gathering of stray animals, avoid contact with stray dogs or cats, and carefully inspect clothing upon arrival home from the street.

You can also use all kinds of remedies - repellents.

If fleas are still found on a person, then immediately begin the fight. Use special insecticides against parasites. Moreover, treat not only the body, but also the room, as well as pets, if any.

Human fleas

Fleas are parasites without a particularly narrow specialization in terms of choosing their victim. They bite a human just like other animals, although most species of fleas still prefer to bite their natural hosts.

Few people know, but there is a real human flea. The one for which the main and most preferred source of food is just a person. This insect is very slightly different in appearance and lifestyle from its relatives, but, like other jumping parasites, it does not constantly live on a person.

A common misconception: some people think that fleas live on humans or animals all the time. In fact, this is not so. The life cycle of a flea does not imply its constant dwelling on the host body, and flea larvae generally do not develop on the surface of the warm-blooded body.

Detailed description

Human fleas are quite large compared to their relatives (other flea species). The body length of an adult insect is about 3 mm. With such dimensions, the parasite can jump up to half a meter in length.

In the photos below, adult human fleas are visible: we can clearly see the dark brown color of their body and it is clear that they have no wings.

These differ from other human parasites with a flattened body from the sides: this form helps them to easily move among the hair in the head and not be crushed when catching or combing bites.

Lice and fleas in humans are often found in similar places - where the body is covered with hair. But at the same time, lice are very inactive and sit mainly on the hair, and fleas are almost elusive and move precisely on the skin.

At first glance, human fleas look like small brown grains on the body or on the floor. The insect in them gives out movement. A person is not able to see a flea at the time of the jump: the gaze only marks the insect present in one place and the next moment it disappears.

The appearance of human fleas was studied in detail in the Middle Ages. There are numerous pictures depicting these insects, their mention in the works of scientists. Like bugs, these parasites disturbed a person especially strongly, and therefore attracted close attention at all times.

Flea larvae ignorant people are often confused with the larvae of flies. They are very small - a few millimeters in length - white, have a worm-like body shape and live mainly in heaps of organic debris.

The photo below shows a flea larva at multiple magnification:

Adult fleas feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals. There are only a few types of these parasites that can eat reptiles and blood. The main owner of a human flea is precisely the person, but in the absence of it, she successfully attacks dogs and cats.

The feeding insect is visible in the photo: due to the absence of a special proboscis, it is forced to immerse its head deep in the integument of the host:

An adult insect spends most of its life in secluded places, as close as possible to places of constant human presence. Here, parasites multiply, and here their larvae develop, feeding on either rotting organic debris or the excrement of adult fleas.

From an evolutionary point of view, fleas as parasites are of great interest to scientists. If other parasites such as bedbugs have learned to make their bites painless due to special enzymes, then fleas are not “worried” about it: their injections are very, very sensitive.

But people cannot crush even a well-fed flea with their fingers: here, natural selection has helped parasites to become less vulnerable due to the loss of wings and flattening of the body.

An adult flea lives on average several months, although theoretically it can live up to one and a half years. According to scientists, in one lifetime one insect can become a parent for 500 direct descendants and more than several tens of thousands - “grandchildren” and “great-grandchildren”.

Judging by the paleological data, before the appearance of humans on the planet, human fleas lived on the territory of modern South America and parasitized on local pigs and large rodents.

The human flea is very similar to its other relatives by its universality: it can attack many warm-blooded animals. As well as other types of these parasites calmly jump on the person. Therefore, having encountered a flea on one’s body, one can never clearly state that this is a human flea.

What else attack people

In addition to the human flea, more than 1,500 species of these parasites can potentially attack humans - almost all of them that are not strictly attached to specific species of mammals and birds.

The most common types of fleas bite a person:

• feline are the most common
• dog
• rat (plague carriers in the Middle Ages)
• rabbit attacks most often in the wild.

At the same time, all these insects jump on people when their usual owners are not nearby. For example, rabbit fleas most often bite hunters who find themselves near holes in a rabbit colony.

The most painful bites for humans are caused by fleas parasitizing on large herbivores. According to the testimonies of the victims, the bites of large - up to 5 mm - moose fleas are more painful than even bee stings.

What are fleas dangerous to humans?

The most common consequence of flea bites is pulicosis, a set of allergy-like symptoms:

But fleas are much more dangerous for people because they are potential carriers of helminths and pathogens of the following diseases: plague, anthrax, encephalitis, trypanosomiasis. Scientists have found more than 200 viruses, bacteria and protozoa that can cause deadly human diseases in the organisms of various types of these parasites.

Of course, not every flea bite will award you with such a disease. But remember the potential danger of such bites is always necessary.

Remedies

The fight against fleas is always getting rid of them apartments or houses. It makes no sense to catch and destroy parasites on yourself, this will not help.

There are many ways to get rid of human fleas in an apartment:

1. Etch the room with a special insecticidal aerosol. Aerosols Raptor, Raid, Combat, as well as the insect repellent Executioner have proven themselves well in this regard.
2. Use contact insecticidal powders. They will help get rid of flea larvae.
3. Either calling a parasite extermination team is the most reliable, but also expensive way to get rid of fleas.

Separately, it should be said about flea larvae. For their destruction, special dusts that are used to remove cockroaches (for example, the Clean House dust, Pyrethrum powder and others) are well suited.

After ridding the home of insects, it is important to maintain cleanliness in the room and observe preventive measures against the penetration of parasites into it.

There is no special flea shampoo for humans. Insecticidal shampoos for pets are produced for the reason that insects can survive in their thick coat even after bathing.

But protection from parasites in the field is necessary. For this, you can use popular insect sprays. A good flea spray for humans must contain a sufficient amount of DEET, a powerful insect repellent.

Among the most popular sprays that can scare off fleas, the following can be distinguished:

From fleas, sprays are more effective than ointments. Due to their mobility, fleas can jump onto different parts of the skin, which are easier to treat with a spray than ointments or gels.

And, of course, banal forethought will help to protect against fleas. Do not iron dirty stray animals, less often visit rooms that do not meet sanitary standards, when traveling to nature, have clothes with long sleeves with you - all this will be enough to protect yourself from bloodsuckers.

What is the danger of fleas for humans

Where flea bites can come from is a riddle for many who have no idea that these parasites are capable of attacking not only cats or dogs, but also humans, and why fleas are dangerous for humans.

Information revealing these aspects, as well as whether fleas really live in humans, will be useful in case of a flea attack and will help get rid of annoying pests.

But for those who do not own dogs, cats, domestic rodents and birds, bloodsuckers are just as dangerous. They, too, can experience all the "charms" of a flea invasion, especially the bites of rat parasites, in which the causative agents of the deadly plague are transmitted to a person.

A person, in principle, is bitten by fleas of various species: cat, dog, and rat. But there are human fleas, and there are forced attacks of parasites that prefer the blood of other hosts in the form of food and attack people only when the main host is unavailable.

If there are no cats, dogs, rodents nearby, through which parasites are transmitted to humans, human blood becomes the source of food.

But it is important to know that the bites of any of these bloodsuckers can equally be dangerous and pose a threat of infection with serious infections.

It is very difficult to distinguish the attack of a human pest from the attack of another type of bloodsucker in terms of localization: any fleas leave bites on the head of a person, on the trunk and legs. But the lower limbs suffer most often.

Where do fleas that bite humans live

There is a fundamentally wrong opinion that supposedly bloodsuckers live on a human body, therefore, the discussion about whether fleas can constantly live in human hair does not have any basis. These are not lice that live and live in human hair.

In fact, a bloodsucker, capable of jumping 30 cm up and half a meter in length, is not constantly found in people, it is not capable of living on a human body, but only jumps to get enough blood. And this applies both to humans and dogs, cats, rodents, birds and other warm-blooded. It's just that they are more comfortable in animal hair, so there they can linger for a very long time.

This allows bloodsuckers to quickly hide from reprisals by the owner and become completely elusive and invulnerable - rarely when they manage to slam a flea. It is practically impossible for an animal to completely completely get rid of a flea cohabitation.

Parasites live nearby, in the immediate vicinity of the owner, but in hard-to-reach places in order to have regular access to the victim’s body, remaining inconspicuous.

Pests prefer to live in the following places of human habitation.

There, the pests breed, lay offspring, and from there attack the victim. If you do not get rid of the neighborhood of bloodsuckers in time, then their attacks can be constant and annoying. This is why it is important to understand where the parasites actually live and where to look for a flea source to permanently etch them.

How are transmitted to humans

Happy owners of furry pets sometimes do not even think about whether fleas are transmitted from cats or dogs to humans. And in vain! Dog and cat fleas completely bite a person when there is no familiar permanent owner nearby or he is temporarily absent.

Cat houses and dog litter are often teeming with bloodsuckers, their eggs, larvae and cocoons, if the animal has fleas, which are then easily transmitted to humans. That is why it is necessary, if detected, to immediately get rid of parasites.

It is important to know that fleas are mainly transmitted to humans from any warm-blooded animal, not necessarily from a domestic one, the wild ones also abound with bloodsuckers and are no less dangerous as carriers and distributors than the same feline ones. This is especially true for wild mice and rats.

Ways of transmission of parasites from animals can be as follows:

1. dog bedding, utensils and care items;
2. cat houses, combs, toys and other items of cats;
3. cages and their contents, dishes, houses of domestic rodents and birds;
4. basements and attics of residential and utility buildings;
5. Compound with domestic animals;
6. dovecote and birdhouses.

From here bloodsuckers fall into human habitation, multiply and commit their daring swoops to feed themselves.

When piercing the skin, the bites of bloodsuckers are dangerous in that they can cause lesions of varying severity on the external integument:

• allergic manifestations of varying severity;
• edema, swelling and internal hemorrhage;
• severe itching and combing of wounds;
• infection of affected areas;
• suppuration of bitten areas;
• swollen lymph nodes;
• dermatitis.

Fleas are also dangerous because during a bite, pathogens of formidable diseases that are transmitted to humans enter the bloodstream.

In addition, the more dangerous fleas are that when they bite people, they are able to infect them with all kinds of helminth eggs, which is also unpleasant, and often dangerous.

That is why, if the first signs of a flea invasion are discovered, it is necessary to get rid of them until they are completely eradicated.

Do fleas live in humans

Everyone knows the fact that fleas can be found in pets, cats, dogs, and others. Some even have them, while they parasitize on them, causing them a lot of inconvenience. This is due to the fact that fleas bite very painfully.

If you find these parasites in your pet, then you should immediately take measures to eliminate them. Currently, there are many ways to get rid of fleas. For example, special shampoos, collars, combs and others.

Returning to the question raised, it is safe to say that fleas do not live in humans! They cannot go from pets to you either. Therefore, do not worry.

However, remember that assisting animals, a flea can bite you, and it hurts enough. Try to avoid such situations, because the bite site is very itchy (itching occurs), and plus everything, these wounds heal for a very long time.

If you still have doubts about this, then let’s see what’s stopping them from living on the human body.

So, first, the difference in body temperature, in an animal it is higher. This is one of the main reasons why they like your pets more. Second, the hairline in humans is many times less dense.Well, the final point, we are much more likely to monitor personal hygiene.

Can fleas inhabit humans

Do fleas live on humans? This question is often asked by many residents of the premises after the first meeting with these insects. The question arises especially sharply after the first bites of these parasites.

Do not worry. Fleas on humans cannot live for several reasons:

1. Temperature. The body temperature in humans is several degrees lower than in animals and is not suitable for fleas. For some time they can stay on the human body, but not on an ongoing basis.
2. People have less hair than cats or dogs. In this case, fleas simply will not have where to hide after bites.
3. A person more often and carefully monitors personal hygiene. Therefore, it is much easier for him to rid his body of these pests.

These are 3 main reasons that do not allow these parasites to live on humans. However, this does not mean that they do not bite people. They bite like that.

The danger of such pests is that they are able to carry a number of diseases and spread them among family members.

Can be transmitted from cats or dogs

Another very important issue that worries most pet owners.

However, with the temporary absence of pets, parasites can attack people and drink their blood.

What do fleas do on humans?

Human fleas have two varieties of Tunga penetrans and Pulex irritans. The fight against this parasite is of great importance in nature and in human life.

• Tunga penetrans is found in the tropical regions of Africa, India, Central and South America. During the breeding season, the females bite into the skin and settle there. They cause a dangerous disease - sarcopsillosis, so large medical institutes still decide how to remove fleas in humans.
• Pulex irritans can inhabit everywhere, and most often parasitize on dogs or pigs.

But why do not fleas live on a person permanently?

Parasite biology

These insects are parasites, that is, they feed exclusively on the blood of other animals, but do not live on them. Fleas spend their lives on earth and visit their owners only at the time of feeding.

Bloodsucker lays eggs in nooks with high humidity. From them appear larvae that eat organic debris that has accumulated in dirty and dusty places, for example, in uncleaned dog litter. After eating, the larva turns into a chrysalis, and adult individuals emerge from it.

Unlike cats and dogs, in which the whole body is covered with hair, there is no place to hide on a flea. The longest they are able to linger on the head in the hair, but will not live there for long.

Who is the victim

Any warm-blooded animal can become a victim of fleas. They use everyone who falls into their habitat, although adapted for months to exist without food. Any insects will bite without choosing a victim for taste or smell. Therefore, if you had doubts whether fleas bite people, then yes, of course, and with pleasure!

What matters is accessibility. By the way, bloodsuckers are more active in hot weather.

Danger posed

Fleas in humans create the most trouble with a bite. Around the affected area appears allergic edema, which is accompanied by severe itching and soreness.

In addition, irritation causes an unpleasant disease - pulicosis, but this is not the main danger.It is much more unpleasant that pathogens of other diseases will be transmitted with saliva.

Here are the diseases fleas carry:

Now it becomes clear whether fleas are dangerous to humans.

Transmission Methods

Contrary to popular belief, these bloodsuckers are not transmitted to humans from dogs and cats, but are attacked from the floor and litter. Fleas often bite people, even if there are no animals at home.

Parasites, having made their way into the apartment (through cellars, attics or with the help of rodents), feel great in crevices and secluded places, wherever it is warm and humid.

Animals matter not only as food, but also as transport, transporting these passengers to new suitable housing. Whether fleas can travel by themselves is not exactly known.

What to do when it appears

It is not difficult to remove parasites if all the places where their larvae are hidden are treated. It is recommended to wash the floor and walls in the house with a solution of butox, neostomozan or their analogues. Flea medicine is sold in veterinary pharmacies without a prescription, with detailed instructions, they can also buy animals.

Dogs and cats older than two months old wear collars with deterrent components or use special drops.

Treatment begins before they finish removing parasites. It doesn’t matter if fleas occur frequently on an animal; this can happen from one bite. To treat allergies, glucocorticoids are prescribed.

There are no separate ways to get rid of fleas in humans, because bloodsuckers do not live on the body. It’s just that you don’t need to comb the wounds so as not to infect the infection, but rather treat them better. With itching, you can use a calming ointment.

Many people recommend wormwood as a folk remedy. Spread branches on the floor or sprinkle everything with tincture, in order to scare away bloodsuckers.