flea, (order Siphonaptera), any of a group of bloodsucking that are important carriers of and can be serious . Fleas are that live on the exterior of the host (i.e., are ectoparasitic). As the chief agent transmitting the (bubonic ) in the , they were an essential link in the chain of events that resulted in the death of a quarter of the population of Europe. General features Fleas are small, wingless insects with a tough cuticle bearing many bristles and frequently combs (ctenidia) of broad, flattened spines. The adult flea varies from about 0.1 to 0.32 cm (0.039 to 0.13 inch) in length and feeds exclusively on the of (including humans) and . With about 2,000 species and subspecies known, the order is still a small one compared with many other groups of insects. However, it is widely distributed with some—such as the and the mouse flea—having been carried all over the world by humans. Native species of fleas are found in polar, temperate, and tropical regions. Importance Infestation by fleas may cause severe of the and intense itching. Although many animals acquire partial immunity after constant or repeated attacks, individuals (especially humans) can occasionally become sensitized after exposure and develop . Species that attack people and livestock include the (Ctenocephalides felis), the so-called human flea (Pulex irritans), the dog flea (Ctenocephalides canis), the sticktight flea (Echidnophaga gallinacea), and the jigger, or chigoe, flea (). may be parasitized by the European chicken flea (Ceratophyllus gallinae) and, in the , by the western chicken flea (Ceratophyllus niger). Certain fleas that feed primarily on or birds sometimes attack people, particularly in the absence of their usual host. When are dying of , their hungry fleas, themselves infected with plague and seeking food elsewhere, can transmit the disease to humans, especially in buildings heavily infested with rats. The Oriental rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis) is the most efficient carrier of plague, but other species of fleas (e.g., Nosopsyllus fasciatus, Xenopsylla brasiliensis, Pulex irritans) can also transmit the disease to people. Although there are occasional cases of in tropical and some temperate regions, the disease in humans can be controlled by early and . Plague (sylvatic plague) is a widespread disease in hundreds of species of wild rodents throughout the world and is maintained in those populations by fleas that parasitize these . More than 100 species of fleas are known to be able to be infected by the plague bacillus, and an additional 10 species are implicated as carriers of the classic type of urban plague. (See .) Fleas, particularly Xenopsylla cheopis, are thought to be the principal carriers of murine (endemic) , a rickettsial disease of humans. As in plague, rats and are the sources of infection. Fleas are considered important in the maintenance and spread of many locally restricted infections among rodents and other mammals, including and Russian spring-summer . Fleas transmit , a of , which is used deliberately to control rabbits in areas where they are severe pests (e.g., in Australia). Fleas are probable carriers of a of and serve as the intermediate host of a common (Dipylidium caninum) of dogs and and occasionally children. If heavily infested, animals can suffer severe damage or be killed by the effects of flea bites and the resultant loss of blood. Fleas are subject to by external , internal worms, and , , and infections., Flea larvae emerge from the eggs to feed on any available organic material such as dead insects, faeces, conspecific eggs, and vegetable matter, some species are subdermal endoparasites on their parent’s hosts. In laboratory studies, some dietary diversity seems necessary for proper larval development., Fleas are small insects that survive by feeding on animal or human blood. Their bites can cause discomfort, itchiness, and irritation. Sometimes, fleas can infect people or pets with the germs that cause flea-borne typhus, plague, or cat scratch disease..