Fleas are bloodsucking insects that live on pets, livestock, and humans. Although wingless, fleas are capable of taking giant leaps, jumping to a height of several meters. Adult fleas feed only on blood and are capable of going long periods without feeding.
Fleas that live on humans Pulex irritans are relatively uncommon. The species that humans are most likely to encounter is the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis , which also infests dogs.
Humans may also encounter the dog flea Ctenocephalides canis or the rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis. Cat, dog, and rat fleas do not live on people, but they will bite a human if they encounter one and are looking for a blood meal.
Fleas most often bite people around the legs and the ankles. The resulting red bump is an allergic reaction to flea saliva. Itching may be just at the site of the bites or more generalized in nature.
Risk factors include household pets, livestock, and rodent infestation. As far as your question on why the fleas bite some people and not others, I have no idea. I did some research on this and all I could find in the literature is that fleas generally prefer dogs and cats, will bite humans and seem to prefer some people over others.
I have heard this before and in my experience, women seem to get bit more than men. I always thought it was a bit like mosquitoes — one of the vets in my hospital is often bitten by mosquitoes and I rarely get bit.
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How long can fleas live on humans? Can humans carry fleas from one home to another? Do fleas bite humans? Share on Pinterest Flea bites on a person. Do fleas pose any other dangers to people, pets or homes? How to get rid of a flea infestation. Preventing a flea infestation in your home. Read this next. Flea Infestations Medically reviewed by Vincent J.
Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, MD. Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. Medically reviewed by Judith Marcin, M. Does Rubbing Alcohol Kill Fleas? Bug Bites and Stings. Skin glands are differentially distributed across the body and human skin microbe abundance matches theirs see below from 1. Research on which ones are most important in attracting biting insects is very much in its infancy. Since different individuals have different HLA haplotypes,. Individual genetics also influence skin temperature and humidity profiles, and metabolic rate, which are other factors that influence individuals' differential attractiveness to biting insects.
Metabolic rate influences local carbon dioxide levels, which along with ammonia and lactic acid and other aliphatic carboxylic acids influence landing rates of biting insects like mosquitoes 5. Each human thus has a largely individual VOC profile, product of their unique genetics and unique skin microbial profile.
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