Fleas

INSECTA PARASITES

Siphonaptera Introduction

Fleas are wingless insects that are laterally flattened so can move rapidly through hair and fur. Their hind legs are adapted for jumping. They are of major significance to veterinary practice and will be seen almost on a daily basis at most general practices.

Adult fleas are blood sucking ectoparasites which can cause pruritis, annoyance and anaemia if present in large numbers. Flea allergic dermatitis can also occur where the animal becomes allergic to the antigens in the flea saliva triggering a hypersensitivity reaction when the flea bites.

Fleas can also act as intermediate hosts and vectors.

The terms ctenidia and combs can be used interchangably for spines on the head/thorax. Spines on the cheeks are referred to as genal and spines on the thorax are called pronotal combs. The presence and location of the chitinous spines are important in differentiating between the different flea species.

Species of Veterinary Importance

Ctenocephalides felis

• Most common flea on cats and dogs

• Commonly called the 'cat flea'

• Can bite humans and other animals

• Both genal and pronotal commbs present

• Similar length genal combs

• Sloping nose

Ctenocephalides canis

• Not very common

• Commonly called the 'dog flea'

• Host specific

• Both genal and pronotal commbs present

• Irregular length genal spines

• Rounded nose

Ceratophyllus gallinae

• Commonly called the 'poultry flea'

• Bites humans and other animals

• Pronotal combs only

Pulex irritans

• Commonly called the 'human flea'

• No combs

• Head rounded anteiorly

Spilopsyllus cuniculi

• Commonly called the 'rabbit flea'

• Both genal and pronotal combs present

• Genal comb obviously oblique

• Behaviour synchronised with the reproductive cycle of the rabbit
  • Adults spend most of their time off the host taking occasional blood feeds
  • Shortly before the doe gives birth the adult fleas attach to the ears of the rabbit and feed producing a lot of faeces
  • After parturition the adult fleas move onto the kittens where they feed, mate and lay eggs
  • The new adult fleas emerge from the pupa before the kittens leave the nest

Other important flea species

• Fleas of wildlife can sometimes infect domestic animals

• Other species of importance are found in America
  • E.g. Tunga penetrans or 'Jiggers' which burrows into the skin of man (also called the 'sand flea' or 'chigoe flea')

• Nosopsyllus fasciatus
  • Rodents
  • 18-20 spines in pronotal ctenidium

• Echisnophaga gallinacea
  • Poultry
  • Frons (forehead) angled anteriorly
  • Also called the 'sticktight' flea

• Archaeopsylla erinacei
  • Hedgehogs
  • 1-3 short spines on genal ctendium
  • 1 short spine on pronotal ctenidium

Links

• Flea allergic dermatitis (FAD)

• Fleas acts as intermediate hosts for Dipylidium tapeworms

• Fleas act as vectors for myxomatosis in rabbits