flea

flea

 [fle]

a small, wingless, bloodsucking insect. Many fleas are ectoparasites and may act as disease carriers; they act as vectors of such diseases as plague, tularemia, and brucellosis.

flea

(flē),

An insect of the order Siphonaptera, marked by lateral compression, sucking mouthparts, extraordinary jumping powers, and ectoparasitic adult life in the hair and feathers of warm-blooded animals. Important fleas include Ctenocephalides felis (cat flea), or C. canis (dog flea), Pulex irritans (human flea), Tunga penetrans (chigger, chigoe, or sand flea), Echidnophaga gallinacea (sticktight flea), Xenopsylla (rat flea), and Ceratophyllus.
See also: Copepoda.

flea

(fle) a small, wingless, bloodsucking insect; many fleas are parasitic and may act as disease carriers.

flea

(flē)

n.

Any of various small, wingless, bloodsucking insects of the order Siphonaptera that are parasitic on mammals and birds and can jump long distances.

flea

Etymology: AS

a wingless, bloodsucking insect of the order Siphonaptera, some species of which transmit arboviruses to humans by acting as host or vector to the organism.

flea

A wingless, 1-4 mm blood-sucking member of order Siphonaptera Vector for Bubonic plague, rickettsiosis Fleas of interest Human flea–Pulex irritans, oriental rat flea–Xenopsylla cheopis, water flea–Cocepod

flea

(flē)

An insect of the order Siphonaptera, distinguished by lateral compression, sucking mouthparts, extraordinary jumping powers, and ectoparasitic adult life in the hair and feathers of warm-blooded animals.

flea

(fle)

An insect of the order Siphonaptera. Fleas are wingless, suck blood, and have legs adapted for jumping. Usually they are parasitic on warm-blooded animals, including humans. Fleas of the genus Xenopsylla transmit the plague bacillus (Yersinia pestis) from rats to humans. Fleas may transmit other diseases such as tularemia, endemic typhus, and brucellosis. They are intermediate hosts for cat and dog tapeworms.

FLEA

cat flea

See: Ctenocephalidesillustration

chigger flea

Tunga penetrans.

dog flea

See: Ctenocephalides

human flea

Pulex irritans

rat flea

Xenopsylla cheopisillustration

flea

any small wingless parasitic bloodsucking insect of the ENDOPTERYGOTE order Aphaniptera (Siphonaptera).

flea

a small, wingless, blood-sucking insect. Many fleas are ectoparasites and may act as disease carriers. They are members of the order Siphonaptera. The common recorded species and their principal hosts are listed below:

Ctenocephalides felis—cat, dog, rarely humans, primates, rodents; C. canis—dog, fox; Archaeopsylla erinacei—hedgehogs; Spilopsyllus cuniculi—rabbit, hare; Leptopsylla segnis—house mouse, rat, wild rodents; Ceratophyllus (Nosopsyllus) fasciatus—rat, house mouse; Xenopsylla cheopis—rodents (the plague flea); Pulex irritans—humans; Tunga penetrans—humans; Ceratophyllus gallinae—chickens (European chicken flea); C. columbae—pigeons; C. garei—water fowl; C. niger (Western chicken flea) Dasypsyllus gallinulae—wild birds; Echidnophaga gallinacea—chickens (stickfast or sticktight flea); E. perilis and E. myrmecobii—rabbits; Vermipsylla ioffi, V. perplexa, V. alacurt, V. dorcadia—ruminants and horses.

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flea allergy dermatitis

the inflammatory lesions and self-trauma caused by a hypersensitivity to flea bites. In dogs, this is usually centered on the back over the lumbosacral spine, around the tail base, and inside the hindlegs. Secondary infection is common.

flea antigen

see flea antigen.

flea collar

a collar (or tag) impregnated with insecticide, hung around the animal's neck. There is a slow release of the active compound, either as a vapor or powder, to kill ectoparasites on the body.

flea collar dermatitis

a contact dermatitis in dogs and cats caused by the insecticide-impregnated polyvinyl chloride collars marketed for flea control. Although the initial and most severe skin reaction occurs where direct contact is made, surrounding skin may also become involved. Correct use of the collars minimizes this risk.

flea dip

any of the external parasiticides applied to dogs as a rinse; dipping is not a practical form of application in most companion animals.