Why Do Fleas Use Humans As Hosts?

Fleas prefer to live in the environment of animals, but they can also be found on humans. They are able to detect human movement, heat, and vibrations caused by breathing. They transmit germs through their feeding habits and fecal contamination, which can infect an open wound. This is a major health risk.

Fleas are considered the main vectors of many diseases. The cat flea is the most common host, but other species have been found. Archaeopsylla erinacei and P. irritans have been associated with human disease. There are also fleas in frogs, rats, and mice.

Fleas are more common in dogs and cats, but they can also infest humans. Humans are much smaller than cats and cannot easily latch onto human hair. Fleas feed on the blood of all animals, including humans. In the Middle Ages, human fleas were responsible for the spread of the plague.

The prevalence of fleas varies with season. Variations in temperature and precipitation affect the fleas’ abundance and intensity. However, in anthropic environments, seasonal variation in flea abundance is less noticeable. In the United States, the flea species P. irritans is more prevalent during the summer months.

Fleas are small, wingless insects that feed on blood. They are about a tenth of an inch long and are dark red or black in colour. They have two pairs of hairs behind the antennae, and their hind legs are modified for jumping. The adult flea can jump up to eight inches horizontally and sixteen inches vertically. Their bodies are thin and have spines on their upper halves that help them move through host hair.