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The human flea (Pulex irritans) – once also called the house flea [1] – is a cosmopolitan flea species that has, in spite of the common name, a wide host spectrum. It is one of six species in the genus Pulex ; the other five are all confined to the Nearctic and Neotropical realms . [ 2 ]
Although fleas cannot fly, they have developed powerful legs and are famous for being able to jump quite high in proportion to their tiny bodies — more than 100 times their body length, up to a ...
(Fleas can jump up to eight inches.) ... Some people experience itchiness soon after being bit by fleas, others may not experience any symptoms the first time they get bit by fleas, but may have a ...
A flea can jump 60 times its length in height and 110 times its length in distance, equivalent to a 1.8 m (6 ft) adult human jumping 110 m (361 ft) vertically and 200 m (656 ft) horizontally. Rarely do fleas jump from dog to dog. Most flea infestations come from newly developed fleas from the pet's environment. [6]
The flea is wingless so it can not fly, but it can jump long distances with the help of small, powerful legs. A flea's leg consists of four parts: the part that is closest to the body is the coxa; next are the femur, tibia, and tarsus. A flea can use its legs to jump up to 200 times its own body length (about 20 in or 50 cm). [4] [citation needed]
The fleas that transmit the disease only directly infect humans when the rat population in the area is wiped out from a mass infection. [16] Furthermore, in areas with a large population of rats, the animals can harbor low levels of the plague infection without causing human outbreaks. [15]
Northern rat fleas are external parasites, living by hematophagy off the blood of rodents. N. fasciatus can bite humans, but they are more common parasites of rodents. [1] Since they are associated with humans, they are common disease vectors that can spread from animals to humans. Diseases that can be spread through fleas include the plague ...
The flea that feeds on prairie dogs and other mammals serves as the vector for transmission of sylvatic plague to the new host, primarily through flea bites, or contact with contaminated fluids or tissue, through predation or scavenging. Humans can contract plague from wildlife through flea bites and handling animal carcasses. [1]