Illness From Fleas

Having pets in a home is a good thing, but there are some precautions to take. One of these is keeping your house free of fleas. Fleas can bring about various illnesses to animals and humans that come into contact with them. For example, fleas can cause tapeworms in pets. If a pet brings flea dirt from outside into the home, there’s a chance it could cause ringworm if left untreated.

Illness From Fleas

In the United States, some fleas carry pathogens that can cause human disease, including:

• Plague — most commonly transmitted to humans in the United States by infected ground squirrel fleas, Oropsylla montana, and globally by infected Oriental rat fleas, Xenopsylla cheopis. Also, may be transmitted by improperly handling an animal infected with plague bacteria. Most U.S. cases occur in rural areas of the western United States.
• Flea-borne (murine) typhus — transmitted to people by infected cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis, infected Oriental rat fleas, Xenospylla cheopis, or their feces (poop; also called “flea dirt”). Most cases in the United States are reported from California, Texas, and Hawaii.
• Cat scratch disease (CSD) — transmitted to humans most often after a scratch from a domestic or feral cat that has been infected by a Ctenocephalides felis flea, or through flea feces (poop; also called “flea dirt”) being inoculated through a cat scratch. CSD occurs wherever cats and fleas are found.
• Fleaborne parasites, such as tapeworms can spread to people and animals if they accidentally swallow an infected flea. Small children are at a higher risk than adults, as they may spend more time close to the floor and carpeted areas where fleas are found. Most infected people will not show symptoms and will not know they are carrying tapeworms.

Illness From Fleas

The final affirmation of the truth is that fleas are a real, verified threat to humans and animals alike.

Fleas can cause illnesses in humans, including:

-Allergic reactions

-Asthma

-Cat scratch fever

-Encephalitis (brain inflammation)

-Heartworm disease (flea larvae)

List Of Illness From Fleas