Why fleas are dangerous for people and animals

The danger of fleas to humans

A flea bite is very painful. Insects attack people mainly at night, and it is impossible to sleep in a room occupied by blood-sucking parasites. A person subject to regular flea attacks suffers from nervous disorders, insomnia, and becomes irritable.

The bite sites become swollen and painful. If you give in to the urge to scratch them to remove the unpleasant itch, small wounds will turn into large scratches. They can get infected, pus will accumulate under the skin and as a result, an ulcer will form at the site of the bite. In people prone to allergic reactions, bites cause severe itching, lacrimation, and suffocation.

But the harm from the bite itself is incomparable to the danger posed by diseases transmitted during the bite. And the main problem is that people don't know about it. Many people cannot even answer for sure whether fleas carry rabies , and the list of transmitted diseases includes much more dangerous pathologists.
Some of them are incurable.

How to protect yourself and your pets from blood-sucking parasites

All pet lovers should remember that fleas are dangerous to humans from both cats and dogs. Therefore, you need to monitor the cleanliness of your pets no less than the cleanliness of your home.

First you need to carry out disinfestation of the outside of the house/apartment. Basements, landfills, attics - everything must be regularly cleaned of debris. Inside the apartment, general cleaning with special cleaning products. Special anti-flea shampoos and collars for cats and dogs are required.

Brief table of anti-flea drugs.

Flea infestation is easier to prevent than to treat. Therefore, all methods are used. From strong chemicals, which are abundant on the shelves of veterinary stores, to folk methods. For example, branches of dried wormwood in the corners of the house will repel parasites. Washing floors with hot water, soap and kerosene (300 grams + 100 grams + 10 liters) is also an excellent means of prevention.

The effect of flea bites on children

A child under 10 years of age reacts to flea bites much more sharply. Children have thinner skin and the bite is deeper and more painful. Allergic reactions occur more often: the temperature rises, the skin around the wound becomes very swollen and painful. Small children cannot resist scratching the bite site vigorously, damaging the inflamed skin.

Children who have not yet been vaccinated have weak immunity. Their body is not equipped to produce antibodies, and any disease carried by fleas is much more severe.

Features of human fleas

All fleas are carried by animals, and regardless of what species the pest in question is, the only permanent means of transportation will be pets.

Sand, dog or cat fleas - all pose a certain danger to the person in whose house they can settle, because these small insects will constantly bite both animals and people living in it.

Initially, experts believed that only fleas of the species Pulex irritans, which are the same human fleas, could parasitize humans.

However, in the course of research it turned out that cat fleas, which have completely adapted to modern living conditions, can also annoy people. Naturally, not every pest from a cat will be able to settle on a person, but in practice such cases do occur.

The human flea is a very small, but incredibly nimble insect, reaching only a few millimeters in size. Its body is somewhat flattened and equipped with a small head with a mouth, with the jaws of which it pierces the skin and sucks blood. The antennae serve for orientation, with the help of three pairs of legs it moves, with the hind ones used for jumping in cases of escape from danger.

These fleas are very prolific, and up to five hundred eggs can be laid by a female at a time. After several weeks, small parasites begin to appear in the laying areas, which immediately feel the need for food. The first victim in this case, naturally, will be the nearest pet or person.

Fleas can live on the body of their prey for quite a long time, feeding on its blood twice a day. They move around the body without any special obstacles in search of the most nutritious sources. If danger suddenly arises, insects begin to move very quickly, moving in leaps, in some cases exceeding the length of their body by 50-100 times.

How to get rid of fleas in an apartment or house

Fleas should be destroyed as soon as they are discovered. If there are a lot of insects, you need to use insecticides. The best spray is “Raptor”, “Raid” and other proven brands. It needs to be sprayed on all surfaces, paying special attention to upholstered furniture. Carpets and rugs need to be turned over before treatment - a cluster of parasites may be found underneath them. Before spraying, you need to take precautions: remove children and pets from the apartment, close windows and doors. You can ventilate the premises after 6 hours, but it is better to leave it for a day.

If fleas are found on the body of a pet, it is necessary to treat the fur with shampoo, spray or drops. To choose the right remedy, it is better to consult a veterinarian. With timely treatment, it is possible to get rid of fleas after 1-2 procedures.

Fleas do not live on the human body, but when attacking him, they can hide in the hair and bite. To get rid of them, you need to wash your hair with a special shampoo against lice. Fleas and lice are different types of insects, but insecticides act on them in the same way. Knowing what diseases fleas carry and how the symptoms of bites manifest themselves, a person will be able to detect them as soon as they appear in the apartment and take action.

Prevention

In order to reduce the risk of contracting a dangerous disease through a bite, you must follow the rules of prevention.

The premises are cleaned weekly. All corners and hard-to-reach places are thoroughly cleaned and treated with disinfectants.

If there are carpets in the apartment, they are beaten outside once a month, especially if there are dogs or cats in the house.

Pets are vaccinated and given medications prescribed by a veterinarian to prevent fleas.

In order to destroy existing insects, rats, ants, potent agents are used. They must be designed for processing an apartment or house.

The most popular remedy is called “Dichlorvos”. Use according to instructions to prevent poisoning.

Fleas are small blood-sucking insects that can live on animals and humans. They carry pathogens of many diseases and when they appear in the house they are destroyed. If signs of infection appear, you should consult a doctor to avoid serious complications. More often, eggs of roundworms and tapeworms are observed after a bite. But in some cases these can be dangerous diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the appearance, especially if there are animals in the house.

Main symptoms of a flea bite

The symptoms of a bite depend on the individual level of sensitivity. As a rule, a blister at the site of the bite appears after 10-20 minutes. after a bite. The subcutaneous vessels dilate, the skin around the wound turns red and swells. The blister has an indistinct border with a diameter of 2 to 10 mm. If there is no allergic reaction, the blister will not cause severe irritation and will disappear in 3-4 days. Only a small dot will remind you of the bite, which will also completely disappear after 5-7 days. Sometimes on

Sometimes fleas are carriers of not only viruses of various diseases, but also helminth larvae. It is impossible to detect this immediately after a bite: symptoms of infection will appear only after the larvae take root in the body and begin to actively grow and reproduce.

Only tests can detect the presence of parasites in the body at an early stage. Therefore, 1-2 weeks after the bites have healed, you need to undergo an examination.

Life cycle, reproduction and development of a flea

The life cycle of parasites consists of the following stages:

• egg;
• larva;
• chrysalis;
• imago (adult).

The most comfortable temperature for breeding is 18-25 degrees (then they breed all year round). In cold weather they live but do not reproduce. Before mating, partners eat. The female climbs onto the male's back and takes the genital claw into the spermatic receptacle. Mating lasts several hours, and the seed moves into the female’s body within 15 minutes.

Eggs are laid in small portions. The female ejects small white eggs from her body; they are located quite far from each other. After two weeks, they hatch into translucent larvae without legs, similar to worms. They make their way inside the nest and feed on rotting organic matter, skin epithelium, and blood residues from the excrement of their parents. After three molts, the larva becomes a pupa (it wraps itself in a silk-like cocoon). This stage lasts from 5 days to several months (it depends on the climate). When a flea emerges from a pupa, it immediately looks for its owner.

First aid for a flea bite

To avoid infection getting into the wound, the bite site needs to be treated:

1. Disinfect. Any product that is at hand is suitable for this: iodine, brilliant green, medical alcohol, manganese solution.
2. Relieve itching. Ointment will help reduce discomfort: Elidel, Fenistil, sulfur ointment. It should be applied only after treatment with a disinfectant, otherwise you can introduce an infection into the wound.
3. Relieve swelling. Ointments that relieve itching also help get rid of swelling. To enhance their effect, you can apply a compress of parsley juice, a solution of baking soda, and apple cider vinegar diluted with water to the wound.

Products for treating bites should always be in your home medicine cabinet. If a person knows what flea bites look like and what these parasites carry , he can always protect himself from the consequences of a bite.

Flea control

The best way to combat these parasites is to prevent their occurrence. If a bite occurs, then follow the rules:

Do not scratch the affected area under any circumstances, as this may cause infection. To treat the wound, use products with antiseptic properties. To cool, use ice, and to relieve itching, use special products with hydrocortisone. Lubricate with antiallergic agent. Limit contact between domestic four-legged animals and outdoor ones. Remember about the hygiene of your pets. If during examination a pet is found to have ectoparasites, be sure to remove them. To do this, treat their fur with special products (shampoos, sprays)

Since fleas are carriers of worms, for prevention, give the animal and take an antihistamine yourself. Remember that parasites cannot tolerate high temperatures, so it is important to iron clothes and underwear. Keep your home clean and do wet cleaning. Treat the floor, animal bedding, baseboards, and furniture with an insecticidal agent.

Flea bites are dangerous for humans, so you should not neglect these small insects.

First you need to find the source of the parasites. If these are pets, then the wool should be treated. If insects have entered from the basement, then it is necessary to seal all visible cracks in the floor and walls and treat the room with insecticidal agents.

Chemicals

The chemicals that make up flea products act on their nervous system, blocking the transmission of nerve impulses, after which paralysis and death of the parasite occurs.

For home disinfestation, products in the form of an aerosol, powder or chalk are suitable. During treatment, it is necessary to evacuate people and animals living in the premises. After measures to destroy parasites, ventilation and wet cleaning are carried out.

Flea remedy “Kombat Super Spray”.

Room treatment products:

1. “Combat Super Spray”. The product is available in the form of a spray that contains imiprotrin and cephenothrin as active ingredients. The spray has a low level of toxicity, but can cause poisoning of animals and children. The aromatic additives included in the composition eliminate the unpleasant odor of insecticides.
2. “Clean House”. The insecticidal product is available in the form of a spray and powder, contains tetramethrin and cypermethrin. The spray is sprayed in areas where fleas are expected to live, has a toxic effect only on adult fleas, but does not destroy their eggs. The powder should be diluted with water before use. Using a spray bottle, treat surfaces in the house with the resulting solution.
3. “Executioner”. An insecticidal agent whose action is due to the substance fenthion. Fenthion, when sprayed, enters the respiratory tract of the parasite and kills it.

Animal treatment products:

1. Entomozan. Antiparasitic agent containing cypermethrin 10%. The product is suitable for treating the hair of domestic and farm animals.
2. Stronghold. The product is used to kill fleas and prevent re-infection. The active substance selamectin blocks the activity of nerve cells of parasites and leads to their death. The drug is applied topically to the animal’s skin in the withers area.
3. Comfortis. Available in the form of tablets for oral administration. The active substance spinosad, entering the parasite's body with food, causes paralysis of its nervous system and death.

Comfortis flea repellent for animals.

Traditional methods

Folk remedies for killing fleas are not as effective as preparations based on chemical compounds, but in situations where it is not possible to use chemicals, you can use folk methods of getting rid of parasites:

1. Exposure to temperatures. In winter, you can leave your apartment with the windows open for a day to create a negative temperature in the room. In summer, bedding and items with long pile can be hung in the open sun for 2 days.
2. The smell of wormwood or tansy. In places where insects are supposed to be located, you can lay out herbs, the pungent odor of which is unpleasant for fleas.
3. Treating carpets with salt. When salt comes into contact with the integumentary membrane of the parasite, it becomes dehydrated and dies. Salt must be sprinkled onto the carpet, rubbing it to the base of the pile. Leave the carpet in this form for 3 days and then vacuum it.

What diseases do fleas carry?

The most harmless complication after a flea bite is a skin rash accompanied by itching. But sometimes the consequences of a bite can be much more serious. Among them are:

• massive dermatitis;
• Brullosis;
• creeping eczema;
• scarlet fever;
• anthrax;
• pseudotuberculosis;
• salmonellosis;
• encephalitis;
• typhus;
• listeriosis;
• tularemia;
• trypanosomiasis;
• bubonic plague.

Every person should know what diseases fleas carry and the main methods of prevention. This is the only way to prevent the spread of particularly dangerous viral diseases.

How to protect yourself

Knowing what diseases fleas carry, you want to avoid encounters with them by any means necessary. In order to do this, you should pay more attention to the health of pets and birds. For preventative purposes, purchase anti-flea collars for dogs and cats for your pets and treat the house. The best means for this purpose are:

• Raid;
• Raptor;
• Dichlorvos;
• Clean house;
• Butox 50.

Carry out wet cleaning regularly to prevent dust accumulation and rodents. Everything must be done to ensure that parasites, even if they appear in the house, do not want to stay there.