Information about Fleas and Diseases They Carry

Anyone that's ever owned a pet has likely had to deal with fleas at a certain stage. Whether your dog picked up a flea from the neighborhood cat, or your new kitten brought them in, they seem inevitable. Fleas are numerous and can spread incredibly quickly. Whether your pet catches them by going somewhere infested, or whether you bring them home in a new furry friend, there are numerous ways you could catch them.

Fleas: Disease Carriers

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of illnesses caused by flea bites jumped from around 100 per year in 2004 to more than 1000 by 2016. The number of incidents continues to climb today. The most common disease caught from fleas is the Bubonic plague.

Although many pets don’t actually harbor fleas, the parasites can still spread diseases to their owners. Even if a pet doesn’t harbor the parasites, they can still spread diseases to the owners and their other pets. Some of the most deadly diseases that fleas can transmit include the black death, as well as tularemia and parasitic worms.

Diseases carried by fleas include, but are not limited to:

• Bartonellosis (Cat Scratch Disease) - Most people contract the disease by coming into direct contact with an infected cat, or through the flea feces that sticks to the fur of a cat. People can also catch the disease by getting infected flea feces in their eyes, or through a cat scratch.

• The Bubonic Plague, aka Black Death - Most often transmitted to U.S citizens through Ground Squirrel fleas, Oriental Rat fleas, or ticks infected by the Oriental Rat flea, and then spread to other parts of the world. Most cases appear in Western rural United States. Transmission occurs through improper handling of infected animals.

• Flea Borne Parasites - These are usually tapeworms, most normally contracted by young children. It happens when they ingest fleas by accident or end up touching infected feces somehow. That said, it can also happen in dogs and cats.

• Typhus that's Flea-borne (murine) - Typhus is a disease spread to humans by fleas that are carrying Rickettsia typhi. Rats, cats, and opossums become infected with the disease when they are bitten by fleas that have ingested the bacteria. The rodents then pass the disease to people, who are usually infected when they brush up against an animal carrying fleas, or when the flea-ridden animals are directly in contact with their flesh.

• Tungiasis - A disease that's typically tropical, this can happen when the chigo flea doesn't just bite for its meal but chooses to burrow into skin instead. This usually brings itchy skin as well as secondary infections.

It should be noted that since the dark ages, science has moved forward in leaps and bounds. A lot of flea-borne illnesses have long been "conquered" as a result. Today, a flea bite is more likely to trigger a need for a strong antibiotics dose more than anything else.

Conclusion

Fleas are a common problem especially for pet owners. However, people generally need to be cautious about fleas as well. They carry a number of diseases, such as tungiasis, flea borne typhus and even flea borne parasites.

Trying to find exterminators in Denver? Look no further than Whitmore Pest Control! We have a wide range of services such as wildlife removal, pest control and more. Contact us today!