Fleas can bite humans, causing itchy red bumps on the ankles and legs, but they don’t live on people. Treat pets and your home.
Facts
Fleas bite humans, causing itchy red bumps, often on ankles and legs.
Do they live on people
No. They prefer fur and feathers.
Risks
Allergic reactions and flea bites that get infected. Fleas can carry tapeworm and, rarely, bacteria like Bartonella and Rickettsia.
What to do
Wash the bites, apply hydrocortisone and treat pets and home.
Control
Vacuum, wash bedding and use vet flea treatment.
Facts about fleas and people
Fleas are wingless insects that jump up to 7 inches (18 cm) and feed on blood. The cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is the most common species, also biting dogs and people. Fleas can bite humans, especially on the ankles and lower legs, but they prefer animals with fur and do not live on human bodies for long.
- Flea bites cause small red itchy bumps, often in clusters of three or four.
- Fleas can carry tapeworms and transmit murine typhus and Bartonella henselae (cat scratch disease).
- Flea life cycle: eggs, larvae, pupae and adults, taking 3 weeks to several months. Adults make up only about 5 percent of an infestation, with the rest in the environment.
What to do
Wash the bites with soap and water, use hydrocortisone or antihistamines for itching, and avoid scratching. Treat pets with vet-recommended flea preventives, wash bedding in hot water, vacuum carpets and furniture daily, and treat the home with an insect growth regulator if needed. See a doctor for signs of infection or severe allergic reaction. Repeat treatments for several weeks are often needed.
Facts about fleas and people
Cat fleas can bite humans, causing itchy red bumps on ankles and legs. They do not live on people but jump from pets or carpets. Flea bites may transmit Bartonella and murine typhus.
What to do
Treat pets with vet approved products, vacuum, wash bedding hot and treat the home. Use anti itch cream for bites.
Fleas and people
Fleas can jump onto people but cannot live on human bodies for long, since they prefer fur and feathers. The cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) is the most common species and bites ankles and legs, causing small itchy red bumps, often in clusters of three.
Treatment
Wash bites with soap and water, use hydrocortisone cream or antihistamines, and avoid scratching which can lead to infection. Fleas can transmit murine typhus and Bartonella (cat scratch disease), and rarely plague in some US regions. Eliminate the source by treating pets with vet approved preventives, washing bedding in hot water, vacuuming frequently, and treating the home. Flea life stages include eggs, larvae, pupae and adults, and pupae can wait for months. Seek a doctor for fever or signs of infection.
Based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of California IPM program
