Are Cat Fleas Dangerous for People?

Cat fleas are the most common fleas on dogs and cats. They are also the most common fleas to bite humans. They can cause allergic reactions or itchy, swelling round spots, usually on the legs and feet. You should contact a doctor if the swelling increases, the itchiness is excessive or the bites excrete pus.

What is the Cat Flea?

• Ctenocephalides felis, or the cat flea, is the most common among approximately 2,000 recorded species, according to the Orkin website. They consume their hosts' blood to reproduce and leave circular ringed sores.

Murine Typhus

• Murine typhus can be caused by exposure to infected cats. It can cause abdominal pain, backache, rash, fevers up to 106 degrees Fahrenheit, cough, headaches, joint pain, nausea and vomiting.

Cat Scratch Fever

• Cat scratch disease (CSD), also known as cat scratch fever, can be caused by a bacterium passed by fleas into a cat's blood, then passed to humans by the pet's scratches or bites. It can cause swollen lymph nodes and fever, headache, fatigue and a poor appetite according to the National Center for Infectious Diseases. Getting CSD from a direct flea bite is unproven.

How to Treat Flea Bites

• Avoid scratching the area of the bite and clean with antiseptic soap. Use calamine lotion or anesthetic cream to decrease itching. Apply ice packs to reduce the swelling.

How to Prevent and Get Rid of Fleas

• Clean your carpets and furniture and treat your pets for fleas. Adult fleas lay their eggs in these places. Apply insecticides to the home and use insecticidal soap or shampoo on pets.

  Allow up to three months to break the flea life cycle and to eradicate fleas in your home.