Flea bites: symptoms, treatments and risks

This insect is capable of causing serious damage to human health.

When we talk about fleas, the first thing we usually think of is the image of an animal infested by fleas, often a dog or a cat, scratching continuously at the itch.often a dog or a cat, scratching continuously because of the itching.

But not only these animals can suffer from flea bites, but it is also easy for them to infest humans. In this article we are going to talk precisely about flea bites and what they cause..

What fleas look like

Fleas are small insects, generally between one and seven millimeters in length, which are part of the order Fleas.They belong to the order of siphonaptera or wingless insects. Their body is hard and resistant, having a relatively small head compared to the rest of the organism. They have long, strong hind legs that allow them to make great leaps, this being the main mechanism by which they move and jump from one organism to another.

They are parasitic insects that feed mainly on the blood of other animals, especially mammals. For this purpose, they have saw-shaped jaws that allow them to generate a tear in the skin through which they can feed. In the case of females, they need this blood to lay eggs, which they do frequently throughout their lives.

The eggs are usually laid on the host, with the mother flea in turn providing small fecal debris in which it provides digested blood to nourish the future larvae. There are numerous flea species, and differences can be found with respect to their morphology or the type of species they infect..

Flea bites: symptoms

Fleas bite to feed on other animals, mostly mammals. In this sense they are frequent in animals such as dogs, cats, rats or horses. But they can also bite humans and jump from one species to another. Their bite tends to be on the extremities (especially the lower limbs), at least in humans. The sting in question can be painful..

Once produced, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between flea bites and those of other insects. In this regard, flea bites are characterized by easy bleeding when scratched (in fact, it is common to find traces of blood on clothes or sheets when bites are on humans) and by being arranged in rows, since these creatures tend to move to different points to bite instead of focusing on a single area.

The reaction of our skin to a flea bite is usually rapid, appearing in a few minutes. A small lump usually appears with a spot in the center (where the flea has pierced the skin), which generates a high level of itching or pruritus and a reddening of the skin. generates a high level of itching or pruritus and a reddening of the area.. Inflammation of the area (and not just the bite itself) is common.

A possible complication of flea bites is the development of a skin infection, which will often be accompanied by fever and other typical symptoms of infection such as fever or tiredness. Occasionally, in severe cases, anemia may occur.

Another possible complication is in people who are allergic to the flea bite, which could cause blisters and rashes, emotional sensitivity, fatigue, diarrhea or respiratory problems that could lead to anaphylactic shock.

Some diseases transmitted by fleas

As a general rule, the bite of a flea is annoying but does not usually cause major complications. However, as with mosquitoes, there is a danger that they may carry some type of virus or bacteria that can transmit some type of disease.

It is not in vain that flea bites caused the spread of one of the greatest pandemics in history: the Black Death.. This disease was introduced in Europe by fleas from rats that traveled on ships, through the transmission of the bacterium Yersinia pestis, and caused the death of between thirty and sixty percent of the population throughout the territory where it spread (at that time most of the known world).

Although bubonic plague (which generated buboes and caused notable inflammations of the ganglia) is the one that generated the greatest pandemic and the most common and well-known, the truth is that there are also pneumonic plague, neurological plague and septicemic plague. Although nowadays it is not considered the pandemic it once was, there are still some cases of this disease.

Apart from plague, it has been shown that flea bites can transmit diseases such as typhus or leishmaniasis, among many others. It can also introduce tapeworm or tapeworm eggs if the flea is accidentally or voluntarily ingested (e.g. by some children). These diseases can be transmitted within the same species or to other species, but it is not impossible for them to be transmitted from animal to human or vice versa.

Treatment

Generally flea bites per se are not treated and treatment is not sought unless accompanied by allergic or other symptoms.. Usually no treatment is received, with the possible exception of cream application. In cases of allergy, the use of antihistamines will reduce the symptoms. Epinephrine injection may be necessary in cases of anaphylactic shock and/or the use of glucocorticoids. If some type of bacteria has been transmitted, Antibiotic medication will tend to be used.

What is important is prevention: the hygiene of the environment and of the person and/or pets will hinder the possibility of infestation. It is also essential to keep the vaccinations of both people and animals up to date so that certain diseases cannot be transmitted to them. In pets, the use of pipettes is recommended to prevent fleas from approaching. Special caution should be taken with pregnant women and children, as they are at greater risk.