Fleas and Flea Management - Urban Insect Pests: Sustainable Management Strategies - page 86

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Fleas and Flea Management

Clive Boase, 1 * Alica Kocisova 2 and Frantisek Rettich 3
1 The Pest Management Consultancy, UK; 2 Department of Parasitology, University of
Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Slovak Republic; 3 National Institute of Public
Health, Czech Republic

Introduction

dential premises, with the usual approach
relying on widespread use of residual
insecticides, as has been done for several
decades. As a result of fl eas' association
with pets such as cats, dogs and other
livestock, however, the veterinary industry
has also become closely involved. There
has been more innovation in the control of
fl eas on animals, with the introduction of
novel active ingredients and dosing systems
for animals. As a result of this progress, in
regions where fl ea control is accessible and
affordable, individual domestic fl ea prob-
lems can normally be readily managed so
tend to be short-lived.

Fleas are an important and diverse group of
wingless ecto parasitic insects, parasitizing
mammals and birds. Typically the adults
live and feed on the host, while the
immature stages occur in the host's environ-
ment, such as a burrow or nest. Fleas are
found around the world and are responsible
for a wide range of impacts. Their blood-
feeding behaviour creates irritating and
sometimes allergic reactions in humans,
companion animals and livestock. Nuisance
biting of humans still occurs commonly,
although the main culprit is no longer the
human fl ea Pulex irritans but fl eas associated
primarily with domestic cats and dogs, such
as Ctenocephalides felis . Additionally, the
fl eas' lack of host species specifi city creates
the potential for acting as a disease vector
between species. A range of diseases are
transmitted to humans by fl eas, with
bubonic plague being the most important.
At present, between 1000 and 2000 plague
cases are still reported annually to the
World Health Organization, mainly from
rural areas of Africa, although cases also
occur in other areas, such as the USA. The
main plague vector is Xenopsylla cheopis,
although other species are also involved.
Pest control practitioners are frequently
involved in nuisance fl ea control in resi-

Signifi cance and Importance of
Fleas

Historically, the human fl ea ( P. irritans ) may
have been the most common fl ea in the
domestic environment, but now, in most
countries, fl eas associated with pets are
more common. Problems arising from fl ea
infestation range from simple nuisance
biting of humans, through causing a range
of skin disorders for pets, to the transmission
of potentially fatal human diseases.
Individual infestations of nuisance biting
fl eas are typically dealt with by the resident
or by a pest control organization, whereas