Can cat fleas cause harm to humans?

Question

If they attack humans, what can I do to get rid of them? What products I need to buy. Thank you.

What kind of disease do the fleas spread if they do? What will happen to humans if they bite humans?

Answer 1

*Fleas , and are significant as public health pests of humans, domestic animals, and livestock. Consider the following:

Fleas are required vectors of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes bubonic plague. During the fourteenth century A.D., plague killed perhaps as many as one-quarter of the world's known population. Fleas transmit the plague bacterium from rats to humans. Human cases of plague in the United States still occur, especially in the Southwest part of the country.

Fleas are vectors of murine typhus, a rickettsial disease that is still common in less-developed nations where sanitation and pest control are lacking.

Flea bites can cause a serious rash known as "fleabite dermatitis."

Fleas carry an intermediate stage of stage of Dipylidium caninum (more commonly known as tapeworms) which can infest humans who accidentally ingest infected fleas.

Answer 2

Can Flea Bites Harm Humans

Answer 3

First of all, fleas are just fleas. There are different species, for sure (2200 known), but they're all the same, really. Whether it's a cat flea or a dog flea, it still can infest a dog or a cat, and always, your home. Did you know that 95% of the fleas that your pet has are actually in your house?

We once had a big flea infestation, mainly in my bedroom where our new kitten (who had come with some "friends") usually slept. The problem was so bad that if I stood in my room for about 3 seconds, I'd get several fleas on me, biting my legs.

Beyond this, fleas can't really hurt humans. They can, however, pose a real threat to the animal that they are on. Animals can get something called "flea anemia," and it's very dangerous. Here are several websites that discuss the dangers of this:

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_flea_anemia.html

http://www.bestfriendspetcare.com/pet_health/fleaanemiainpets.cfm

http://joellesteele.com/ART-CAT-013.htm

I hope these websites help you realize the real danger that your cat is in. Don't worry about yourself. The worst that happens is that you get really itchy red bumps that go away soon enough. I guess if you were deathly allergic to flea bites then you should be concerned.

Answer 4

Can Fleas Hurt Humans

Answer 5

It's unlikely that they'd do any harm but there is always a risk. Flea's are indiscriminate about who or what they bite and can potentially carry communicable diseases like typhus, bubonic plague and tapeworm larvae. Thanks mainly however to our modern age of antibiotics and vaccinations, the most you can normally expect is a small itchy spot or rash. Scratching does also carry the risk of secondary infection however. Don't get in a panic. Best thing you can do is keep it clean and deal with the flea infestation right away. If they are already in your house use 'Acclaim' flea spray around all the room edges (it works wonders from personal experience). 'Frontline spot on' is good for treating the pet itself, but follow the direction to the letter. And no they don't lay eggs under your skin. Eggs will be in the animals fur and in your carpets and bedding.

Answer 6

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RE:
Can cat fleas cause harm to humans?

Answer 7

HECK yes they can cause harm to humans. :D I'm allergic to them. I get these big bite marks (looks like HUGE mosquito bites). They itch like crazy, and left scars all over my legs.

I hate those things. Call an exterminator. They'll spray your house. And get a flea collar.

On a side note-- The Black Death (the plague) was started by fleas. Not something we need to worry about nowadays, but just a random fact for the day. lol

Answer 8

Mostly they can just give humans a real skin problem, if you're sensitive to the bites. You're unlikely to catch tapeworm - you'd have to actually swallow the flea, so just don't lick your cat!!

If you keep your cat and your house properly treated i.e with veterinary products, this won't be a problem. The fleas we have trouble with are dog and cat fleas, so you only have to deal with your pets and your house, not treat yourself. It's if you have human fleas that you've got a problem, but that only really happens in hideous hovels!

Chalice

Answer 9

Well, they can sure bite the heck out of us!

The last tennant of the apartment I was in had a cat (obvious by the smell). The fleas stayed.

My legs looked covered in welts, but they were really flea bites. They're too hard to catch and pinch (kill with your nail tip), but one was so fat off my blood that it couldn't jump the usual distance, and I got it. It was the grossest thing. As a kid I loved cats, but as an adult I can see how unsanitary they are.

Answer 10

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How's your little kitten doing (the one you asked about earlier)? Fleas can carry infections, but I don't think those on pets are the same as what are on birds etc. In your country, I'm not sure. If they only leave an itch, that's normal I suppose. Put some calamine lotion on each bite, which will stop the itch and therefore the scratching too.