Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Fleas (Siphonaptera) such as Echidnophaga gallinacea, range from 2–6 millimetres in length and have bodies which are flattened laterally or appear compressed horizontally when viewed from above. [ 9 ] [ 12 ] The flea's body is designed to easily travel through hairs or feathers, allowing free movement throughout the host's body.
Dog fleas had not been found in Virginia in more than 70 years, and may not even occur in the US, so a flea found on a dog in the United States is likely a cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis). [31] [32] One theory of human hairlessness is that the loss of hair helped humans to reduce their burden of fleas and other ectoparasites. [33]
The bluish-green glow is attributed to luciferin, which emits light after oxidation catalyzed by the enzyme luciferase. Some believe that the light attracts insects to spread spores, or acts as a warning to hungry animals, like the bright colors exhibited by some poisonous or unpalatable animal species. [ 2 ]
When ants bite humans, it grabs the skin and also sprays a compound called formic acid, Frye explains. Ant bites tend to be small, swollen bumps that appear in clusters, Kassouf says.
By stage 2 (days 1–2), penetration is complete and the flea has burrowed most of its body into the skin. Only the anus, the copulatory organs, and four rear air holes in fleas called stigmata remain on the outside of the epidermis. The anus will excrete feces that is thought to attract male fleas for mating, described in a later section.
Problems caused by fleas may range from mild to severe itching and discomfort to skin problems and infections. Anemia may also result from flea bites in extreme circumstances. Furthermore, fleas can transmit tapeworms and diseases to pets. When fleas bite humans, they may develop an itching rash with small bumps that may bleed.
The most infamous flea-to-human transmitted disease is the bubonic plague, which was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The plague, fevers, tularemia: The diseases fleas can carry and how to ...
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 ]