posted
I recall my childhood home became infested with fleas from our cats, and we were bitten badly on our ankles for a few weeks before the exterminator could come.
When I was in heavy treatment (IV rocephin), my ankles got nice and skinny (normally a little bloated), and I had crawling sensations under my skin in the ankle area. Same place I had been chronically bitten.
Could fleas carry any of our favorite co-infections or other problems? Little buggies under my skin still regenerating?? Horrors.
Thanks.
Posts: 26 | From BKNY | Registered: Aug 2009
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annxyzz
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
Very Possible. Fleas (RAT) caused the Bubonic Plague and transmitted the bubonic bacteria from rats to humans .
-------------------- annxyzz Posts: 1178 | From East Texas | Registered: May 2009
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Lymedin2010
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posted
From what I've heard and read, yes.
I recall one story in particular . A woman was on her couch petting her cat. 1-2hrs later notices a flea on her and removes it. Weeks later she develops Lyme like symptoms.
Posts: 2094 | From NY | Registered: Oct 2011
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Razzle
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 30398
posted
Yes. Bartonella and probably others can be transferred this way.
-------------------- -Razzle Lyme IgM IGeneX Pos. 18+++, 23-25+, 30++, 31+, 34++, 39 IND, 83-93 IND; IgG IGeneX Neg. 30+, 39 IND; Mayo/CDC Pos. IgM 23+, 39+; IgG Mayo/CDC Neg. band 41+; Bart. (clinical dx; Fry Labs neg. for all coinfections), sx >30 yrs. Posts: 4167 | From WA | Registered: Feb 2011
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Absolutely. It's possible.
Yes, this can be unsettling but we have to get past the "horrors" of it - it's just how it is. It's how life works.
I think if our culture - and many of our doctors - were not so quick to evade the invisible icky stuff we'd not be in such bad shape. [Though most can handle the worst of the worst visible traumas.]
I think of germs as stuff just out of place, where they don't belong. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
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posted
Studies on the growth of Bartonella henselae in the cat flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae).
Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
Abstract
Two out of three pools of cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouche), that were fed Bartonella henselae-positive cat blood for 3 d and then bovine blood for 3 d, were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive for B. henselae.
In a second experiment, three cats were inoculated with a streptomycin-resistant strain of B. henselae. After the cats were inoculated, caged cat fleas were fed on the cats during three different periods, and then pooled and transferred to noninfected recipient cats.
In the first trial, the bacteria in the flea feces were below level of detection when the fleas were transferred from the infected cats to the recipient cat. After the fleas had fed on the recipient cat for 6 d, a bacteria level of 4.00 x 10(3) CFU/ mg was detected in the flea feces.
Subsequently, the bacteria level increased for 4 d and then declined. In another experiment, the bacteria level in the flea feces was 1.80 x 10(3) CFU/mg at 2 h after collection and 3.33 x 10(2) CFU/mg at 72 h after collection.
*These data indicated that this strain of B. henselae can persist in flea feces in the environment for at least 3 d, and that B. henselae can multiply in the cat flea.*
PMID: 12495192 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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TerryK
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posted
This article from the Illinois Dept. of Public Health has some interesting information including information on how to control fleas.
Bubonic plague (black plague) carried by rats and their fleas. Killed 200 million before antibotics were discovered. Still transmitted today. Caused by Yersinia pestis a type of bacteria.
"Bubonic plague occurs most often where persons live or participate in outdoor activities in close proximity to wild rodents, such as rock squirrels, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks and rats. Pets also bring plague-infected fleas into the home. Cats are highly susceptible to the disease. Outbreaks can arise in urban and rural areas, especially where conditions are primitive or unsanitary."
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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Lymedin2010
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
Some of the other insects that carry TBD's are; ticks, mites, fleas, sand flies, green head flies, mosquito (if it bites a diseased animal and then a new victim), spiders (if it consumes another carrier insect), bed bugs, & horse and deer flies.
I wonder if regular house flies carry it too. �I am sure they must. �These are the same insects that lay their eggs in dead and decaying carcuses of animals. �The larvae are consuming the tissues of infected animals and pass the infection via feces. �
Watch for those flies landing and defecating on your picnic and BBQ foods. �I am sure it happens, but to a lesser degree.
Posts: 2094 | From NY | Registered: Oct 2011
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lymielauren28
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posted
I'm convinced that I got infected with Bartonella from flea bites. There have been tons of scientific studies validating human transmission of disease from fleas - so yes.
-------------------- "The only way out is through" Posts: 1434 | From mississippi | Registered: Nov 2007
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sparkle7
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posted
Bartonella is also know as Cat Scratch Fever... If a cat is infected with fleas that carry bart - it's not really the cat scratch that infects the person directly... it's the feces of the flea that gets into the scratch. I read this a while ago so it many be wrong but this is what I recall. I'd have to spend some time looking up the reference.
I'm sure flea bites can spread disease.
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
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posted
WOW. This is amazing information. Thanks everyone for your responses; I had no idea there would be so much feedback so fast.
Lymedin2010, that's funny, because I was also attacked head to toe by sand flies in Mexico. I was pretttttttttttty sick afterwards, with what I thought was Montezuma's revenge, but now that I think about it... hmmm.
Thanks Razzle. That clears it up. Lymielauren,wow. You felt that was the beginning of your Bart?
Keebler, totally. I avoid doctors for the most part, and cure at home all the common stuff. When necessary, I make sure it is a doctor who is willing to hear me and my family. It only takes me one visit to find out if I feel "it" or not with the doctor. There are some great ones out there, they just need to be sought out.
Terryk and annxyzz, it makes me wonder if all this illness (even outside the Lyme community) could be modern plagues. We have proper sewage control, fresh water, etc. so we don't get necessarily KILLED by these bacteria, however I certainly am not fully alive. Just lumbering along at half mast.
Thanks for the info, everyone. I really appreciate it. I won't sleep tonight, but I do appreciate it! lol.
Posts: 26 | From BKNY | Registered: Aug 2009
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