My friend went to the vet and the vet told her that her cat has fleas. My friend has several bite marks that her doctor told her are flea bites. How conserned should I be?
2006-10-26 18:18:38 · 13 answers · asked by samlevine05667 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
Black Plague... bubonic plague. Get rid of the fleas!!
Fleas have been associated with humans and other animals for thousands of years. A bacterium (Yersinia pestis) spread by fleas killed 25 million people, more than a quarter of the European population, in 14 th century Europe. This was the “black plague.” Epidemics also occurred in Egypt, Africa, China, India and even the U.S., before the discovery of antibiotics. All told, perhaps 200 million people have died of plague – more than have died in all the wars in history.
Today, plague occurs worldwide. Each year, a few cases of bubonic plague are recorded in the United States, mostly in the Southwest. The disease is typically carried by wild rodents, and transmitted to the fleas that bite them. The digestive system of an infected flea can become blocked by rapid reproduction of the bacteria, causing the flea to bite repeatedly in an attempt to avoid starvation. Humans typically contract the disease from the bites of infected fleas, or through skin abrasions that contact the blood of infected animals or the feces of infected fleas.
Bubonic plague occurs most often where persons live or participate in outdoor activities in close proximity to wild rodents, such as rock squirrels, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks and rats. Pets also bring plague-infected fleas into the home. Cats are highly susceptible to the disease. Outbreaks can arise in urban and rural areas, especially where conditions are primitive or unsanitary.
2006-10-27 00:51:25 · answer #1 · answered by tampico 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have pets, then you need to get them treated with a flea preventive from a vets office. Do not use the over the counter stuff. It does not work and it can be harmful to you pets. It is absorbed into their blood stream unlike the vets products which are actually absorbed into the oils in their skin and coats. The over the counter stuff might work for a few days and only kill a few fleas, the vet stuff will fight off fleas for a month and it will kill all the fleas. I would treat them because it is possible that you brought fleas home from your friends house.
2006-10-27 01:27:29 · answer #2 · answered by durbinl22 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Fleas from a cat will bite humans which can be more than mildly irritating, espeically if you have an allergy to flea bites. Fleas that live on cats must have blood from a cat to reproduce. In your situation, I would be concerned if I had cats at home since it's very possible that fleas could be transported to your cats by "hitching a ride" on you.
2006-10-27 01:36:13 · answer #3 · answered by hptoolhead 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Fleas will bite anything warmblooded, so yeah, worrisome. The good news is that people rarely die. Usually just a small, red bump. A few people are super allergic, but that is rare.
You can track them back to your house and your pets, so beware. Or, just treat your pets for fleas before you get an infestation. Prevention is easier than a cure.
Good Luck
2006-10-27 01:25:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
yes ,any vet will tell you cats are more likely to catch fleas over dogs,and fleas just love human blood.start watching from your knees down if u r male for bites and itching as they like hair on the legs.women your arms. but they will get u just about any where they can and the bite hurts and itches badly. if you wear white crew socks around the house they are in after awhile you can see them burrowing in the material.
2006-10-27 01:26:47 · answer #5 · answered by midnightsteve5150 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It all depends on how much time you spend over at her house and around her cat. Maybe you could suggest a flea medication or powder (I doubt she doesn't already know about it though). I don't think that you could get that many bites unless you live over at her house. I don't think you should be that concerned.
2006-10-27 01:20:54 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
unless you live in the same house, you have nothing to fear. Be warned that, if you visit that house, before the fleas are eradicated, you stand the danger of carrying one of those critters home on your clothes and your house and animals could become infested. Please stay home until the problem in that house has been solved.
2006-10-27 01:29:36 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
MOST FLEAS ARE SAND FLEAS SO BE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PLACES THAT YOU WALK....>>> YOU CAN CARRY FLEAS IN ON YOUR BODY LEGS JEANS FOOT WEAR ETC THEY ARE A PAIN JUST MAKE SURE IF YOU ARE NEAR SAND GIVE YOURSELF A GOOD SHAKE .>> YOU SHOULD NOT BE TO CONCERNED BECAUSE HER CAT HAS FLEAS , THEY WILL STAY ON THE CAT AS LONG AS THEY CAN FEED
2006-10-27 01:30:45 · answer #8 · answered by yvette b 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋
get rid of them NOW before u have a HUGE problem with them, they will bite u too, they are nasty little creatures and they are very annoying, i have been there and done that and now i try to prevent them from coming back, last year i had to walk around my house with baby oil on my legs just so i didn't get attacked by them. i have dogs and cats so it was really bad and really hard to get rid of
2006-10-27 01:27:20 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Anyone can get fleas, it doesn't matter if you have a cat or not
2006-10-27 01:20:37 · answer #10 · answered by benzhowz 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋