Can fleas live in human hair

There are several types of ectoparasites annoying people. One of them - fleas. Their miniature size and incredible jumping ability make it possible with impunity to make your bloody meal and retire home. Insects are carriers dangerous diseases and so many are wondering if fleas live on humans and what species bite a person.

Answering the question whether there are fleas in people, it is worth recognizing that such a phenomenon happens. Parasites are not picky in food and with equal pleasure absorb the blood of animals and people. Fleas and humans wage an irreconcilable struggle throughout their existence. Preventive measures and an extensive arsenal of means to combat parasites allow homo sapiens to emerge from the battle as the winner.

Parasite habitats

There are about 2000 species of fleas. In the temperate European climate, cat, dog, rat, and human fleas are predominantly found. All of them are characterized by tiny sizes of 1-5 mm, a dark brown body color. The species affiliation is determined by the localization of parasites. But all of these species can easily switch from one animal to another.

That fleas pass from animals to humans and live on his body - this is a myth. The only ectoparasite that can settle on the human body is a louse. Yet the rest of the bloodsuckers use people as a food base and do not live on humans.

On a note!

Most fleas do not constantly live on the body of their prey, but settle nearby, where they can reproduce unhindered and always be close to a source of food.

But the question is, do fleas jump from animals to humans, the answer is yes. The insects do not realize themselves during the jump, where do they jump. They are guided by smell and temperature fluctuations, so there is nothing surprising in the fact that fleas sit on people. Most parasites feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, and humans become as attractive to them as other animals.

It’s wrong to say that fleas pass to a person. Parasites attack, bite. Transition can be viral, bacterial infections, with respect to insects, this phrase is incorrect.

In the natural environment, small vampires live in burrows of rodents, small warm-blooded animals, and birds. The risk group includes pet owners. During a walk with a pet, parasites jump on an unprotected animal, thanks to the characteristics of their body, they bury themselves in wool and get into the apartment.

Having mastered, they create their settlements in places where dogs or cats are kept, and if measures are not taken to destroy them, they subsequently occupy the entire living space.

A large number of parasites live in the basementsinhabited by rodents in landfills. After deratization, fleas that have lost their hosts begin to actively seek a new source of nutrition. Therefore, they are often attacked by residents of lower floors or people walking up the staircase. So animal fleas on a person get into the apartment.

Interesting!

The concept of “flea markets” appeared by chance. In the Middle Ages, when unsanitary conditions reigned, various living creatures, including moths, bugs, and fleas, were found in dwellings.Most of the goods sold by the junk collectors were eaten by moths and swarmed with fleas. By purchasing a little thing, the buyer was never safe from the fact that he would not bring any parasite to the house.

What species attack a person

For the most part, all types of blood-sucking insects got their name from a particular animal. However, there is a separate species that is closely related to humanity - this human flea. These individuals prefer human blood. Fleas on a person’s head are rare, their favorite places are open areas of the body, mainly legs. This choice is not due to the taste of blood in this part of the body, but to the height of the jump. An adult is not able to jump above 50 cm.

If a person is subjected to flea attacks during sleep, then any zone that will be within the reach of the insect can be bitten. Human fleas on humans cannot live, even in spite of their name. They create their colonies in secluded dark places. The only difference between this flea and the rest is its incredible fertility. If the female is canine or cat fleas replenishes the ranks of the colony for 500 individuals, then this species lays up to 1000 eggs.

On a note!

Dog fleas on humans are much less common than feline. The latter are more widespread, and even most often they are in dogs.

Visual differences can only be revealed by a highly specialized specialist through a microscope. However, the ordinary victim does not matter which of the representatives of the flea family he was bitten by, and having determined for himself that a person can have fleas indirectly, he begins to look for ways to get rid of them.

Speaking about whether fleas can live on humans, it is worth recalling the specific structure of the insect. Its nondescript body, densely covered with bristles, is adapted for movement in a dense hairy, woolen coat. In humans, thick hair can be observed only on the head, so hypothetically fleas could live in human hair.

But it’s unusual for fleas to create their own colonies on the victim’s body. Them breeding occurs outside the "media". The female adheres to the principle that “eggs are not stored in one basket” and therefore does not lay them in one place. The female fertilized individual literally squeezes the embryos out of itself during movement, and they scatter throughout the space. This method increases the chance of preserving the offspring.

In the stage of eggs, future parasites stay from 10 to 14 days. White blind larvae appear from the eggs, resembling caterpillars in appearance. During this period, they do not need blood and feed on the results of vital functions of adults, organic waste. Larvae live in secluded places and remain invisible to humans.

Specificity flea bites - Another reason why parasites cannot live on the human body. An adult gnaws at the skin and literally with his head penetrates into the wound. During flea bites, painkillers are not injected, so their attack cannot go unnoticed. Only incredible mobility and jumping ability helps parasites survive.

Dangerous member of a flea family

An exception from all representatives of the flea family can be called sand fleathat lives in the tropics. In her regard, it is quite appropriate to say that fleas also live in humans. A female sand flea bites into the human skin and penetrates the capillary. Saturation provides the rapid development of eggs, as a result of which the individual increases in size and is not able to leave the place of introduction.

An ulcer with a pronounced swelling appears at the site of the lesion. Egg maturation lasts from 5 to 7 days, after which the female shoots them, wrinkles and most often dies, remaining in the epithelium. In rare cases, a female is able to lively leave the wound.