No FLEA here!!

Dr. Norhidayu Sahimin

Tropical Infectious Diseases Research
and Education Centre (TIDREC),
Universiti Malaya
ayusahimin@um.edu.my
 What is Flea?
Fleas are insects that are of major importance to veterinary
medicine. Their significance lies in their blood feeding abilities as
adults, their broad host range, and their ability to transmit several
important disease agents. Some fleas can also serve as
intermediate hosts for helminth infections.

Fleas can be differentiated from other insects by the following

features:
Laterally compressed
Highly sclerotized
Wingless
Legs adapted for jumping.
Mouth parts of adults adapted for feeding on blood
Mouth parts of larvae adapted for chewing.
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

Domain : Eukaryota
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Insecta
Subclass : Pterygota
Infraclass : Noeptera
Superorder : Endopterygota
Order : Siphonaptera
 DISTRIBUTION
Fleas have a formidable reputation for claiming more victims
than all the wars ever fought, as a result of the "bubonic
plague" (Black Death) they spread throughout the world in
the 14th century causing the deaths of over 200 million
people.
Human plague (Black Death) within the last decade has been
reported from countries :
Africa: Angola, Kenya, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar,
Mozambique, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania,
Uganda, Zaire and Zimbabwe
Americas : Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and USA
Asia : Burma, China and Vietnam
Now, these insects are better known for their irritation and
pest status worldwide.
World Distribution of Plague
Morfology of Flea
Fleas are small (1.5-3.3 mm long), agile, usually dark
coloured, wingless insects with tube-like mouthparts
adapted to feeding on the blood of their hosts

The flea body is hard, polished, and covered with

many hairs and short spines directed backward,
allowing the flea a smooth passage through the hairs
of its host. Its tough body is able to withstand great
pressure, likely an adaptation to survive scratching
etc. Even hard squeezing between the fingers is often
insufficient to kill the flea; it may be necessary to
crush them between the fingernails.

Their bodies are laterally compressed (flattened side

to side) permitting easy movement through the hairs
(or feathers etc.) on the host's body.
The head capsule of fleas is very modified. It is high,
narrow and cuneate. The propleurosternum covers the
head from below to the peristomal aperture, as result of
which it is immobile.
The antennae of fleas are in antennal fossae. The antennal
fossa divide the head into anterior and posterior parts.
The thorax consists of three modified segments. They are
luck wings, but have long legs. The hind legs are well
adapted for jumping.
The abdomen of the adult flea includes 10 segments.
The genital apparatus of male fleas consists of the
aedeagus, modified tergites and sternites of the 8th and
9th abdominal segments and claspers. The aedeagus and
claspers derive from primary phallic lobe. The modified
tergites and sternites of flea's belong to abdominal
segments 7-9.
Life cycle
 Life cycle
Egg
pearly white
about 1/2 mm (1/32 in). in length
too small to see without magnification
fleas lay their eggs on the host, but the eggs do not stick to the host's hair (fall
off into the host environment).
The eggs make up 50% of the flea population.
hatch into larvae in 1 to 10 days, depending on temperature and humidity
high humidity and temperature favour rapid hatching.
Larvae
slender shape
about 2-5 mm (1/8 - 1/4) in length
feed on organic debris found in their environment and on adult flea faeces,
which is essential for successful development
avoid direct sunlight and actively move deep into carpet fibres or under organic
debris (grass, branches, leaves, or soil). live for 5 to 11 days and then pupate.
 Life cycle
Pupae

Before becoming adults, the larvae spin silk cocoons in which they will
develop
Because of the sticky outer surface of the cocoons, dirt and debris are
attracted to them and provide camouflage.
The pupae remain in the cocoons until they have fully developed into
adult fleas.

Adult
When the adult flea emerges from its cocoon, it immediately seeks a host
because it must have a blood meal within a few days to survive.
It is attracted to people and pets by body heat, movement, and exhaled
carbon dioxide
It seeks light, which means that it migrates to the surface of the carpet so
that it can encounter a passing host
They are about one to three mm in size, reddish-brown to black in color,
wingless, and are laterally compressed.
 Spesies of fleas
Pulex irritans (human flea) The human flea prefers the blood of
humans and pigs.

This flea is cosmopolitan in

distribution and may infest many
domestic animals as well as man.
Swine are also commonly infested
with this flea.

Adults can be identified by the

presence of neither pronotal or
genal combs, and a mesopleuron
that is not divided. This flea is an
important flea in the transmission of
plague.
 Ctenocephalides felis ( cat flea)

The cat flea's primary host is the

domestic cat, but this is also the
primary flea infesting dogs in most
of the world and is the species
usually identified in attacks on
humans and usually responsible for
flea plagues.

Cat fleas are the intermediate host

for the dog and cat tapeworm
(Dipylidium caninum) which is easily
transmitted to humans

A live specimen of the Cat flea

Ctenocephalides canis (dog flea)

Dog fleas also will infest certain

types of wild carnivores, including
opossums and raccoons, but not
squirrels, rats or mice. While
these two species do not carry
human diseases, they can carry
tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum)
that infect dogs.

The adult is brown, 3-4 mm long,

up to 5 mm long, with long hairs
on each body segment.
Xenopsylla cheopis (oriental rat flea)

Also called Asiatic rat flea, tropical rat flea

and Egyptian rat flea.

It’s body golden brown in color. Males

grow to 0.06 in (1.6 mm) and females to
0.09 in (2.4 mm). Combs are absent. Single
row of setae on each abdominal tergite.
Oblique row of spiniform setae on the
inner aspect of hind coxa.

Adults of both sexes of Xenopsylla cheopis

feed on blood. They bite Rattus rattus
(Black Rat) and other mammals, including
humans. It is also a vector for pathogens
such as plague bacilli, Yersina pestis, and
murine typhus, Rickettsia typhi
 Tunga penetrans, (Tropical flea)

Tunga penetrans, (Tropical

flea) also known as the
'Jigger' or 'Chigoe' flea, occurs
in tropical Africa, the
Americas and western India.

The adult female flea burrows

into human flesh, particularly
the feet. The head & thorax
can be seen as the dark
brown stucture, off centred
This patient has several and to the lower left.
Tunga adults embedded in
the feet. The oval sand-like
granules are the eggs
 FLEA AS A VECTOR OF DISEASES

Diseases because of the parasites bring from the flea :

Xenopsylla cheopis (Rat flea): Bubonic plague (Black death)

Ctenocephalides felis (Cat flea) and Ctenocephalides canis
(Dog flea): Plague, murine typhus, Bartonella
Pulex irritans (Human flea): Murine typhus
Tunga penetrans (Sand flea): Tunga penetrans
 The black death (Rat flea)
Common name: Bubonic plague
Distribution : Asia, Europe, America
Vector: Xenopsylla cheopsis
Bacteria: Yersinia pestis
Symptoms:
✓ Fever of 38 - 41 °C, aching joints, headaches, darker skin,
nausea and vomiting, a general feeling of malaise
✓ The classic sign of bubonic plague - appearance of buboes in the
groin, the neck and armpits, which ooze pus and blood.
✓ Victims underwent damage to the skin and underlying tissue
until they were covered in dark blotches. This symptoms called
Acral necrosis .
 Plague Infection
Cycle
flea ingests plague bacillus by
biting infected rat
bacillus multiplies in host flea's
digestive tract
bacilli clog flow of nutrients to
host flea's body
host flea becomes voraciously
hungry
host flea bites more frequently
if flea's gut is clogged,
previously ingested bacilli will
be regurgitated into next
fleabite victims
Ctenocephalides felis (Cat flea) and Ctenocephalides
canis (Dog flea) : Plague, murine typhus
Common name: Cat flea and dog flea
Host: Domestic cat, dog, human
Distribution: North America, Australia
Disease: Plague and murine typhus
Disease transmission : Fleas can transmit other parasites eg., the dog
tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum)
Symptom :
➢ allergic responses to flea bites
➢ flea allergy dermatitis (FAD)
➢ nuisance Eggs and
➢ anemia feces
Harmful effects of flea infestation
Fleas infestation can disrupt the general well-being of all animals,
cause itching, redness, hair loss, and in certain cases severe skin
infections. The most harmful effects are:
Blood loss
Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD)
Transmission of tapeworms
Transmission of bacterial diseases
 Pulex irritans (Human flea) : Murine typhus
Common name: Human flea
Host: Human, dog, cat, domestic animal (pig)
Disease: Murine typhus
Symptom :
✓ Small red spot
✓ Irritating after biting
✓ Sore for as much as a week.
✓ Flea bites may vary in their effects, from a transient wheal to
prolonged symptoms that last for years, depending on the
sensitivity of the victim.
 Tunga penetrans (Sand flea)
Skin ectoparasites

Common name : chigoe flea, jigger flea, chigger, chique or sand

flea
Distribution: Tropical africa, the Americas and Western India
Hose: Human and pig
Disease: Tunga penetrans
 FLEAS CONTROL &
PREVENTION

Daily vacuuming
Carpets can be sprayed using an adulticide and a growth regulator
retreat within a few days.
Do NOT leave any room empty for any length of time hoping to "starve" the fleas.
Stop the "cycle“ since pupae are motivated to hatch out when there is activity
around them, be sure and keep people and pets active in the rooms where the
flea problem is the worst.
Bathing kitten/puppy with baby shampoo and grooming them with flea comb.
If your pet has a bed, wash it several times in the washer in hot water.
Environmental Control-(don't let your cat or dog outside).
Use Herbal flea collars- Flea Traps (little pads of glue).
 THE REBEL FLEA.
You put your Finger on him, and he
isn't there.