Recently my friend, Jane, got a healthy looking dog. Sadly, the dog was flea infested. Jane applied flea shampoo on the dog to save the situation.
But, she’s still worried whether “Dog Fleas Transfer to Humans?” Can the bugs jump/ bite him, his kids or wife? I seek to answer these questions in this short post.
The simple answer is Yes. Dog fleas (Ctenocephalides canis) will sometime jump onto humans, bite them and suck blood – although they mainly suck blood from dogs and cats. Scientific research shows that the fleas will quickly move to another and hitchhike people as they move to other houses just like the over 2,000 flea species.
Pulex irritans or Ctenocephalides canis
A quick google search on whether Can Dog Fleas Transfer to Humans, – most related information available online is false. Some articles claim that only dog fleas (Ctenocephalides canis) attack canines and that only the Pulex irritans can bite human beings.
Pulex irritans feed on blood (human, dogs, and cats) and thus will bite human beings (leaving itchy red bumps ) but only survive on human blood. Fleas transmit tapeworms, cause flea allergy dermatitis (FAD), and anemia. Control fleas on clothes and kill massive flea infestation with foggers.
Fleas Hitchhike your clothes and hair
First, fleas lack wings and thus do not fly but jump from one host to another or hiding place. Also, fleas have rough bristles that allow them to attach themselves to the pet’s (cat or dog) fur. You can prevent this by using appropriate human flea repellents.
There are about 320 flea species: in the US Ctenocephalides felis is most common. Ctenocephalides canis is common in Europe. The above two flea species all bite human beings, but Pulex irritans are mainly hosted by pigs.
The insects jump about 16 inches long and eight inches high to land on any host to bite and suck blood. Notably, fleas will mainly suck blood from any host, either humans, wild animals, or pets (cats and dogs).
Any flea brought in by your dogs will hide under the furniture until their larvae if fully developed. Finally, the fleas hatch and sense your warm blood and thus take a bite on your skin to suck blood. Also, humans carry fleas to another home on their hair and clothes.
Fleas will bite your ankles and legs, which you see if you walk into a house infested with a massive flea population. They’ll leave some rid itchy round bumps on the location they bite.
Signs of fleas transfer from your dog
So, how’ll you know when fleas have transferred from your dog to you or your family member? Well, first check if your dog is continuously scratching its skin and fur. That’s the first sign because flea bites will cause itching on both human beings and dogs.
Also, check whether your dog has signs of allergies due to a massive flea infestation. Further, if you note some flea dirt and red bumps on the dog, you should be alert that a flea attack could be coming over to you from the dog.
Brush or comb your dog keenly to check whether the comb comes out with some brown color when passed on a white surface.
Prevent fleas on your dogs
I’ve pointed above that you can use flea bombs to control massive flea infestations in your rooms. However, to control fleas on your dogs, Advantage® II and Frontline® Plus have proven to the top models. You can also use a flea spray for your yards.
Fleas take host on your dog and thus whenever you come too close to the pet, the fleas could jump over to you looking for a blood source.
However, fleas (apart from Pulex irritans) cannot live on human blood and thus will have to jump off to an appropriate host, particularly after sucking some of your blood.