Can Fleas Embear in Your Skin?
WouterFleas don’t normally embed themselves in your skin. Instead, they feed off of hosts in your home or property. If you don’t have a pet, however, you’re still at risk of flea infestations. This is because fleas attach themselves to clothing, shoes, and luggage.
Adult fleas measure 1.5 to 4 millimeters in length and have flat dark brown bodies with piercing and sucking mouth parts. They are pests and, once they have infested a human or pet, can cause itching, swelling, and raised skin. These bites may last for weeks.
In severe cases, the fleas can cause a serious infection. A medical doctor can identify this condition through clinical examination of the lesions. Affected areas may exhibit multiple reddish spots, white patches with black dots, and black crusts surrounded by necrotic tissue. However, this condition can be treated with an over-the-counter product.
In a study conducted in rural Uganda, researchers applied two-component dimeticone to the skin. This compound disrupts normal flea development. It prevents female fleas from producing eggs and laying eggs. The application of this compound decreased inflammation associated with the lesions within seven days.
Adult fleas develop from larvae in the carpet and bedding of animals. Female fleas lay up to 500 eggs per day. The larvae then spin a silk cocoon and mature into an adult flea. The adult flea emerges from its cocoon when it detects a suitable host in a nearby animal or human. The adult flea will then bite the first warm body it detects.
