BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuFleasPulicosis; Dog fleas; SiphonapteraFleas are small insects that feed on the blood of humans, dogs, cats, and other warm-blooded animals. Causes Fleas prefer to live on dogs and cats. They may also be found on humans and other warm-blooded animals.Pet owners may not be affected by fleas until their pet has been gone for a period of time. Fleas look for other sources of food and begin to bite humans. Symptoms Bites often occur on the legs and places where clothes fit close to the body, such as the waist, buttocks, thighs, and lower abdomen.Symptoms of flea bites include:Small red bumps, often three bumps together, that are very itchy Blisters if the person has an allergy to flea bites Exams and Tests Usually, a diagnosis can be made when the health care provider examines the skin where the bites are. Questions may be asked about contact with animals such as cats and dogs.In rare cases, a skin biopsy is done to rule out other skin problems. Treatment You can use an over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone cream to relieve itching. Antihistamines you take by mouth may also help with itching. Possible Complications Scratching can lead to a skin infection.Fleas can carry bacteria that cause diseases in humans, such as typhus and plague. The bacteria can be transmitted to humans by flea bites.TyphusTyphus is a bacterial disease spread by lice or fleas.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article PlaguePlague is a severe bacterial infection that may cause death. The disease affects small mammals, mainly rodents, and humans.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Prevention Prevention may not always be possible. The goal is to get rid of the fleas. This can be done by treating your home, pets, and outside areas with chemicals (pesticides). Small children should not be in the home when pesticides are being used. Birds and fish must be protected when chemicals are sprayed. Home foggers and flea collars do not always work to get rid of fleas. Always consult your veterinarian for help.Open ReferencesReferencesDinulos JGH. Infestations and bites. In: Dinulos JGH, ed. Habif’s Clinical Dermatology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 15.James WD, Elston DM, Treat JR, Rosenbach MA, Neuhaus IM. Parasitic infestations, stings, and bites. In: James WD, Elston DM, Treat JR, Rosenbach MA, Neuhaus IM, eds. Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 20.AllVideoImagesTogFlea - illustration Different types of fleas prefer specific animals as hosts, but will infest humans if their specific hosts are unavailable. Fleas can carry plague and typhus. They are also thought to transmit several other diseases. (Image courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) FleaillustrationFlea bite - close-up - illustration Fleas are blood-feeding insects. Pain and itching results from an allergic reaction to the materials that the fleas inject into the skin at the time of the bite.Flea bite - close-upillustrationFlea - illustration Different types of fleas prefer specific animals as hosts, but will infest humans if their specific hosts are unavailable. Fleas can carry plague and typhus. They are also thought to transmit several other diseases. (Image courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) FleaillustrationFlea bite - close-up - illustration Fleas are blood-feeding insects. Pain and itching results from an allergic reaction to the materials that the fleas inject into the skin at the time of the bite.Flea bite - close-upillustrationRelated Information Review Date: 11/18/2022 Reviewed By: Elika Hoss, MD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
FleasPulicosis; Dog fleas; SiphonapteraFleas are small insects that feed on the blood of humans, dogs, cats, and other warm-blooded animals. Causes Fleas prefer to live on dogs and cats. They may also be found on humans and other warm-blooded animals.Pet owners may not be affected by fleas until their pet has been gone for a period of time. Fleas look for other sources of food and begin to bite humans. Symptoms Bites often occur on the legs and places where clothes fit close to the body, such as the waist, buttocks, thighs, and lower abdomen.Symptoms of flea bites include:Small red bumps, often three bumps together, that are very itchy Blisters if the person has an allergy to flea bites Exams and Tests Usually, a diagnosis can be made when the health care provider examines the skin where the bites are. Questions may be asked about contact with animals such as cats and dogs.In rare cases, a skin biopsy is done to rule out other skin problems. Treatment You can use an over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone cream to relieve itching. Antihistamines you take by mouth may also help with itching. Possible Complications Scratching can lead to a skin infection.Fleas can carry bacteria that cause diseases in humans, such as typhus and plague. The bacteria can be transmitted to humans by flea bites.TyphusTyphus is a bacterial disease spread by lice or fleas.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article PlaguePlague is a severe bacterial infection that may cause death. The disease affects small mammals, mainly rodents, and humans.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Prevention Prevention may not always be possible. The goal is to get rid of the fleas. This can be done by treating your home, pets, and outside areas with chemicals (pesticides). Small children should not be in the home when pesticides are being used. Birds and fish must be protected when chemicals are sprayed. Home foggers and flea collars do not always work to get rid of fleas. Always consult your veterinarian for help.Open ReferencesReferencesDinulos JGH. Infestations and bites. In: Dinulos JGH, ed. Habif’s Clinical Dermatology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 15.James WD, Elston DM, Treat JR, Rosenbach MA, Neuhaus IM. Parasitic infestations, stings, and bites. In: James WD, Elston DM, Treat JR, Rosenbach MA, Neuhaus IM, eds. Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 20.