What is Flea Bites?
Fleas, scientifically referred to as Siphonaptera, are tiny, wingless creatures that are part of the more than 2000 species of arthropods. Like external parasites, they live on warm-blooded animals, feeding on their blood. They are minute in size, measuring between 1.0 to 3.3 mm, and are known for their long back legs that enable them to jump. In fact, they can jump up to 100 times their own length. Fleas do not have specific host preferences, meaning they can infest different creatures. The cat flea is most often found on dogs, whilst in some areas, the human flea is also a common dog parasite. Interestingly, the human flea can also be found on wild animals that have had no human contact. Fleas from the Ctenocephalides group have two ‘combs’ that look like a hairy mane and a mustache.
While fleas can endure many different settings, their presence is scarce in low humidity areas and places that are higher than 1500 ft. Generally, fleas cause itching and discomfort to their hosts. However, they can also spread diseases like typhus, rickettsial disease, bubonic plague, and certain worm and protozoan infections. Knowing how fleas work benefits the process of collecting patient history, physical examinations, and selecting treatment options. Furthermore, learning about methods to eliminate fleas from human surroundings can be key in preventing the transfer of diseases from fleas to humans.
What Causes Flea Bites?
Fleas have very strong back legs, which allow them to make incredibly long jumps. To put it in perspective, the distance they can cover is like a 6-foot person jumping 1200 feet! They have a special type of protein in their back legs that lets them store the energy they need to make these jumps. Fleas feed off various animals and humans by using their specialized mouth to pierce the skin and suck blood.
Human fleas are small insects, only about 2 to 3.5 mm long, without wings, and are reddish-brown in color. They are slightly different to dog and cat fleas in that they do not have combs or bristles on their bodies.
Another type of flea, the sticktight flea, is named for its ability to attach its head to the skin of whatever it’s feeding off. Once attached, it can stay in one spot feeding for up to 19 days. This kind of flea is different from dog and cat fleas because it does not have bristles, it is smaller than a cat flea, and its head is flattened at the front. The sticktight flea is also known as the stickfast or chicken flea and typically feeds off poultry. However, it has been found on various other birds, mammals, and even humans.
Risk Factors and Frequency for Flea Bites
Fleas are a worldwide problem and can be found mostly on household pets like cats and dogs. Children in developing and tropical countries sometimes get a rash, called papular urticaria, due to flea bites. This rash usually goes away by the age of 7, but sometimes it can last into adulthood. Fleas are not just troublesome; they have a deadly history too. They were responsible for diseases like the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, that killed over 200 million people in the 14th century. There’s also a particular parasite caused by fleas, called Tungiasis, which is common in underprivileged areas of countries like Africa, South America, and Central America. This illness is most common during the dry months of August and September.
Here are the key points:
- Fleas are common on household pets like cats and dogs.
- Children in tropical and developing areas sometimes get a rash from flea bites.
- The rash usually disappears by the age of 7, but can sometimes last into adulthood.
- Fleas caused major diseases like the bubonic plague, which killed more than 200 million people in the 14th century.
- A flea-caused parasite called Tungiasis is common in underprivileged areas in Africa, South America, and Central America.
- Tungiasis is most common in the dry months of August and September.
Signs and Symptoms of Flea Bites
When a doctor suspects someone has flea bites, they should ask about where the person lives, any recent contact with fleas, and if anyone else living with the person has the same symptoms. It’s important for the doctor to thoroughly check the skin, especially areas usually exposed, like the arms, legs, upper back, and scalp. People who have allergies to fleas often have reactions to different types of fleas. Furthermore, the doctor will check for specifics related to any skin rash, such as how long it’s been present, whether there’s swelling or redness, and whether it’s itchy. In rare cases, the skin around the bite can get infected, so the doctor will also look for signs of infection.
Flea bites are common and usually cause itching skin. These bites can cause particularly severe reactions in people with certain allergies, resulting in a bumpy rash. Unlike with other insects that suck blood, flea and bedbug bites often leave a particular pattern on the skin, which helps identify the insect responsible. The diagnostic sign is three or more itchy, reddish, swollen bumps in a straight line or a triangle, several centimeters apart. This pattern, nicknamed the “breakfast, lunch, and dinner” sign, is key in recognizing flea bites.
There are two reasons why this pattern might happen. First, fleas and bedbugs map out the skin before feeding, marking the most suitable spots using a substance in their saliva that stops blood clotting. This substance can even cause a local allergic reaction. Second, the bugs start feeding on the blood, but if they’re disturbed — by sudden movement or clothing rubbing against them — they’ll quickly find another nearby spot to continue feeding. This could explain why bites often appear one after the other.
Testing for Flea Bites
Usually, the process of diagnosing a flea-related rash involves looking at a person’s medical history and carrying out a physical exam. There aren’t any lab tests available that can definitely pinpoint fleas as the cause of a rash. Instead, a surefire way to confirm if fleas are the problem is by examining any debris collected from vacuuming and bedding. This is where fleas or their droppings are often found.
Treatment Options for Flea Bites
Flea bites can cause very itchy, hives-like bumps or fluid-filled blisters, usually on the lower legs but they can also appear on the arms and hands if they’re not covered. Human fleas invade clothes, so the bites can be all over the body. Here’s how you can fight against fleas:
Look for the source of the fleas – your home, workplace, school, farm, or local environment could all be places where fleas might be living.
Pets in the house should be checked and treated by a vet. Don’t forget to clean the pet’s bedding at high temperatures and keep your carpets and floors clean to get rid of any flea eggs or larvae hiding there.
The main way to manage fleas is by using products that kill them (e.g., imidacloprid, fipronil, spinosad, selamectin, lufenuron, and ivermectin). Using insect growth regulators like pyriproxyfen can stop adult fleas from producing eggs and block larvae development. By combining an insecticide and an insect growth regulator, you can attack the adult fleas and larvae in a more effective way. However, there are some reports that fleas are now resistant to certain insecticides, especially pyrethroids. If you’re struggling with a flea problem, seeking advice from a professional exterminator and a vet is a good idea. In stubborn cases, you should consider having a professional check out-of-sight areas in the home, like the attic, crawl spaces, basements, and inside walls, which could be housing other wild animals or birds.
For treating flea bites:
Wash the skin affected by flea bites with soap and water.
Bites can cause localized swelling, redness, and itching, which you can treat with cold packs and creams.
Creams containing calamine or pramoxine, along with topical corticosteroids, are effective in reducing local inflammation and itching.
Oral antihistamines like cetirizine or loratadine can also help with itching. However, be careful while using oral antihistamines and avoid applying topical antihistamines to large parts of your skin to prevent unwanted side effects.
For severe swelling, you may consider oral steroids.
It can take a few weeks for the rash from flea bites to heal. To avoid prolonging the rash, it’s crucial to get rid of flea infestations from your environment.
Ensure that you take all necessary precautions to prevent serious infections like cellulitis, bacteremia, tetanus, and gangrene.
Tungarisis, a skin infestation caused by certain types of fleas, often gets better on its own, particularly in those who got it while traveling. As the bitting flea dies within two weeks and falls off as the skin sheds, the infestation naturally resolves. However, severe infestations can lead to serious complications which may require preemptive antibiotic treatment and medical interventions.
Sticktight fleas, another type of flea infestation, can pose a unique treatment challenge as they attach firmly to the skin. In humans, removing these fleas involves grabbing the flea with tweezers and pulling it out of the skin. Medicated treatment like Malathion 5% liquid or gel can be used in severe infestations.
Ultimately, prevention is the best form of treatment for all flea infestations. Maintaining cleanliness in personal and public living spaces, pavement of roads and flooring can all help in preventing infestations. Always remember to consult a qualified professional or veterinarian for customized treatments and preventative measures.
What else can Flea Bites be?
When trying to figure out the cause of itchy hives, doctors will look at factors that might have triggered the reaction. These can include recent changes in laundry soap and personal care products or recent exposure to animals or bugs.
Although fleas and mosquitoes are often associated with causing skin rashes, other insects can also lead to similar skin reactions. In certain cases, doctors take into account the chance of a severe allergic reaction, known as anaphylaxis. This condition might be suspected if there are symptoms from other parts of the body such as vomiting or diarrhea (stomach issues), or wheezing and difficulty breathing (lung issues). It’s worth noting that anaphylactic reactions to bug bites, especially flea bites, are very rare.
What to expect with Flea Bites
Flea bites usually aren’t serious. They typically cause a mild skin reaction, which appears as a rash and is known as papular urticaria. This tends to clear up on its own and can be controlled with allergy and anti-inflammatory medicines. However, complications like cellulitis and abscesses can occur, which would need to be treated according to current medical advice. Fleas can also carry bacteria and parasites, leading to further infections. If a secondary infection occurs, it’s this, not the flea bite itself, that determines how well the patient will recover.
Possible Complications When Diagnosed with Flea Bites
Flea bites might look straightforward but can lead to a variety of complex issues. Fleas play an important role in spreading several diseases like plague and typhus to humans. These diseases are typically spread through their bites, with plague being the most common. These diseases initially show up as swelling in the lymph nodes due to the invasion of the lymphatic system and progress to pneumonia, bleeding spots, skin lesions, and blood infection.
Specific fleas like rat flea and cat flea transmit murine typhus. Humans are infected when flea-bitten wounds come into contact with infected flea feces. In the United States, this disease is linked to areas with large rat populations. The symptoms include fever, headache, chills, muscle pain, and other generic symptoms. A light rash might also appear, spreading from the center of the body but sparing the palms and soles. Complications can occur in those with severe underlying diseases, affecting the liver, heart, lungs, kidneys, or nervous system.
The female fleas feed on a single host over many days, gathering the blood required for laying eggs by multiple short-term bites (“breakfast, lunch, and dinner sign” in humans) on single or multiple hosts. It is also possible that cat fleas can transfer traces of α-gal-carrying glycoprotein from a previous blood meal on a cat during a further bite to a human. This can result in persistent itching, local inflammation around the bite area, and increased response to α-gal in susceptible individuals.
The potential concerns from flea bites include:
- Diseases like plague and typhus
- Pneumonia and hemorrhagic lesions
- Skin lesions and blood infections
- Murine typhus transmitted by rat and cat fleas
- Non-specific symptoms like fever, headache, chills, and muscle pain
- Inflammation around the bite area
- Secondary skin infections such as cellulitis and abscesses
- Orbital inflammatory syndrome, reported due to flea bites around the left lateral corner of the eye
If typhus is not complicated, it can be treated with medicines like doxycycline, which is more effective than azithromycin. Chloramphenicol can also be used as a third option.
Preventing Flea Bites
If you want to prevent flea bites, it’s crucial to avoid coming into contact with them. One way to get rid of fleas is to use anti-bug sprays around your home. Flea eggs usually fall off animal fur and get into your floors, which is why cleaning and vacuuming are very important. By getting rid of flea eggs from your surroundings, you can break the flea’s life cycle and stop more from hatching.
House pets, especially cats and dogs, are known to often carry fleas. You prevent this by getting flea prevention treatments from a vet. Such treatments can be applied directly on the pet’s body or given orally. If you think your pet is the reason for a flea infestation at home, it would be best to consult a vet.
In places where it’s tough or impossible to completely exterminate fleas, using repellents can help. Certain chemicals such as DEET and essential oils containing thymol have been found to be effective against different types of fleas, including human fleas and cat fleas.
