Most insect and spider bites are harmless, though they feel unpleasant. Bee, wasp, and hornet stings and fire ant bites usually hurt. Mosquito, flea and mite bites usually itch. Insects can also transmit diseases, such as yellow fever and malaria. These diseases mainly are a risk for travelers outside the United States.
If a person gets bitten by a flea, the bite will feel itchy. Flea bites usually occur in groups of three or four bites on the body, and they look like tiny red bumps. A lot of kids end up with flea bites when they play with their dogs or cats. If you have a dog or cat, chances are pretty good that you've seen a flea. Fleas are often found on the coats of these animals. Once the animal comes inside, the fleas can then jump onto people or carpeting.
In one day, a single flea can bite your cat or dog more than 400 times. During that same day, the flea can consume more than its body weight of your pet's blood. And before it's through, a female flea can lay hundreds of eggs on your pet, ensuring that its work will be carried on by generations to come. The flea is an acrobatic pest that is adept at finding a warm place to live, jumping readily from dogs to cats or even human beings. The life cycle of the flea is about 30 days. The eggs are dormant in cool weather, but, with the advent of milder days, they hatch into worm-like larvae which eventually become fleas.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports guinea worm disease occurs when someone takes a drink of stagnant water and swallows a microscopic water flea-parasite. The fleas contain infectious larvae that mature inside the human abdomen and eventually, can become more than two feet long. After about a year, the worm emerges in a very painful blister
Fleabites may be merely a nuisance to some pets, but to others, they can be dangerous. They can cause flea allergy dermatitis--an allergic reaction to proteins in flea saliva. A pet's constant scratching to rid itself of fleas can cause permanent hair loss and other skin problems. A pet can get a tapeworm if it eats a flea that has one. And flea feasts on your pet's blood can lead to anemia and, in rare cases, death.
By swallowing a flea infected with a tapeworm larvae. A dog or cat may swallow a flea while self-grooming. Once the flea is digested inside the dog or cat, the larval tapeworm is free to develop into an adult tapeworm. As the tapeworm matures inside the intestines, these segments (proglottids) break off and pass into the stool. For a person to become infected with Dipylidium, he or she must accidentally swallow an infected flea. Most reported cases involve children. The risk of infection with this tapeworm in humans is low.
A rickettsial zoonotic disease transmitted from rodents to humans by either the rat or cat flea. Generally milder and shorter-lasting than epidemic louse-borne typhus, flea-borne typhus is characterized by fever, macular or maculopapular rash, excruciating headache, prostration and delirium. Stupor or coma may also occur. Some species of Rickettsia are known to cause harmful diseases in humans, such as epidemic typhus (R. prowazekii) and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (R. rickettsii), while others have been identified as emerging pathogens and critical agents for the development of bioweapons.
"Lyme disease, hookworm or roundworm infections (more common in children), and toxoplasmosis (highest risk to pregnant women) are a few examples of harmful conditions that can be passed from pet to person," explains Dr. Peter Weinstein, medical director for Veterinary Pet Insurance/DVM Insurance Agency (VPI). "Since the transmitter of these illnesses is normally an infected pet or flea or tick carrying the condition from an animal to a human"; he explained.
Plague is an infectious disease caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis. These bacteria are found mainly in rodents, particularly rats, and in the fleas that feed on them. Other animals and humans usually contract the bacteria from rodent or flea bites. Approximately 10 to 20 people in the United States develop plague each year from flea or rodent bites-primarily from infected prairie dogs-in rural areas of the southwestern United States. In addition, moister climate conditions may act to promote flea survival and reproduction, also enhancing plague transmission.
Yersinia is best known for causing the Black Death in the middle Ages in Europe, when historians estimate it killed a third or more of the population. Depending on how Yersinia is introduced, the versatile pathogen can modify itself to infect the lungs (pneumonic plague), the lymph glands (bubonic plague), or the bloodstream and organs (septicemic plague). Bubonic plague was spread by bites from infected fleas; pneumonic plague can spread through droplets of moisture expelled by coughing and sneezing
Pesticides are chemicals used to prevent, repel, or kill pests such as termites, fleas and mice. Pesticides also can kill microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. Most pesticides contain chemicals that can be harmful to people, animals, or the environment. Examples of products that contain pesticides include insect repellents, insect bait traps, and pet flea and tick products.
Flea collars were introduced in 1964 as an effective, for the times, and relatively safe way to protect pet dogs and cats from fleas. Flea collars are made from a special plastic that slowly releases insecticide that kills adult fleas. After a specified interval the collars are replaced to renew the protection.
Prior to the wide-spread use of flea collars, flea infestations were a constant battle and irritant, not to mention health threat, for pet owners. Over the years there have been many different pesticides incorporated into the plastic collars. Similar slow-release technology is also used in cattle tags for fly control.
One way to combat the stigma is to be informed. Fleas often find the conditions inside your home optimal for survival.
Within the home, and outdoors, areas frequented by an infested pet should be thoroughly treated. Pyrethroid products provide an effective means of flea control. When selecting a product, be sure to choose a low-dose pyrethroid that offers a long residual and can be applied to a variety of surfaces where fleas may live and breed.
According to Mike Chapman, technical service and field development representative for Bayer Environmental Science, effective control of fleas hinges on a three-pronged approach, consisting of 1) education; 2) homeowner communication; and 3) insecticide knowledge and training. Each are important for achieving control, protecting your company’s reputation and increasing your bottom line
The best way to rid your pet of fleas is to see a veterinarian for advice. They may recommend powders, sprays, dips, specially treated collars, or even tablets to be taken internally — whatever the veterinarian's prescription, you should take care to follow their instructions exactly. Some additional tips:
# Bedding, furniture, carpets, rugs, upholstery, cracks and crevices should be washed, cleaned and vacuumed. Frequently dust, sweep, vacuum, and mop all surfaces where pets or you have been. Eggs are laid on the pet and drop off as it moves.
# All affected pets should be treated at this time and removed from the premises for 4 to 6 hours. Remove birds from the home if you are using liquid insecticides.
# Owners should make sure that lawns are cut and bushes are trimmed. Backyard fencing is also a good idea, as it prevents stray animals that might be infested from wandering into your yard.
# Reducing rat population by poison baits, trapping or infiltrating poison gases into burrows.
# The use of repellent-treated clothing in areas where rats and their fleas abound.
# Comb your pet daily with a fine-toothed metal flea comb. Pull in the direction of the fur and drown fleas in soapy water. Create a specific pet sleeping area that's easy to clean often.
# Electric flea traps which work by emitting gentle heat which attracts fleas and traps them on sticky paper
# Diatomaceous powder can also be used to control fleas. This powder consists of fossilized algae remains and is usually used in pool filters. Reportedly, the same material can be sprinkled on carpets to safely eliminate fleas.
Fort Dodge Animal Health, a division of Wyeth (NYSE: WYE), announced the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved ProMeris™ for dogs, a low-volume, topical spot-on, to effectively control existing flea and tick infestations and prevent re-infestations on dogs and puppies eight weeks and older. ProMeris for cats, a topical spot-on for the effective control of existing flea infestations and to prevent re-infestation on cats and kittens eight weeks and older, was introduced in June 2007.
The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) is reminding pet owners to read the labels of their pet's flea treatments, following some reports of accidental poisonings of cats, when liquid spot treatments that are meant for use on dogs only are applied to cats.
According to according to veterinary scientists at Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine; "a clear pattern of association between flea and tick infestation in pets compared to the incidence of Lyme disease in humans, with a two-month lag and peak rates occurring during warmer months. This information allows veterinarians to anticipate unusual occurrences of diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans and design treatment methods. Public health officials also could be alerted so they could provide timely information to the public and spray affected areas for ticks. In addition, specimens such as these can be used for profiling a broader variety of diseases that are potentially transmitted to humans by fleas and ticks, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Too often, owners simply treat the affected pet; however, when that pet re-enters an infested area, they can become reinfested. So, it is important that pet owners treat the pet, as well as all affected areas.
"I get quite a few clients who complain that they've treated their dog or cat for fleas and yet they're still infested, even in January," said Dr. Marty Becker, veterinarian and best selling author. "The first thing I tell them is you have to treat the entire problem, not just part of it, and prevent fleas throughout the year."
Vacuum cleaners kill fleas just as well as any poison, surprised U.S. researchers said recently (December 19, 2007). They said a standard vacuum cleaner abuses the fleas so much it kills 96 percent of adult fleas and 100 percent of younger fleas.
So no need to worry that a vacuum cleaner bag may turn into a flea breeding ground for the pesky, biting creatures, said Glen Needham, associate professor of entomology at Ohio State University. Needham studied the cat flea, or Ctenocephalides felis, the most common type of flea found in households. "No matter what vacuum a flea gets sucked into, it's probably a one-way trip," Needham said in a statement.
Writing in the journal Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, Needham suggested that the vacuum brushes wear away a waxy outer layer on insects called the cuticle. Without it, the fleas, larvae and pupae probably dry up and die, he said. The findings were so surprising that the researchers ran their experiment several times.
"There are all kinds of ways to manage the problem, but how people feel about insecticides and how much money they want to spend factors into what they're going to do for flea control. Vacuuming is a great strategy because it involves no chemicals and physically removes the problem," Needham said.
Home remedy:
Feed your dog or cat one clove of garlic a day. In addition to discouraging fleas, it will prevent some types of worms. Don't, however, give garlic to pregnant pets, because—like pennyroyal—it sometimes causes spontaneous abortion.
Brewer's yeast (also called nutritional yeast) is available at most health food stores. Give large dogs one tablespoon once a day mixed into, or sprinkled on top of, their food. Try one teaspoon for cats and small dogs. Some animals love it. Others take a while to develop a taste for the yeast, but most end up begging for it.
A touch of vinegar in your pet's water is touted as a control for both fleas and mange. With all of the above, however, it's best to start such dietary programs long before the flea season hits.
In addition to pennyroyal tea rinses, you can also try a saltwater dip to discourage fleas. If you live near the sea, your dog might learn to love swimming in the ocean. Some especially energetic dog owners go so far as to provide small saltwater pools for their dogs to romp in.
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