Fleas can be more that an annoyance they can cause serious disease in your family
Insects like fleas cause a wide variety of human health problems (remember the black death or bubonic plague which killed half the population of Europe in the 14th century? This was caused by Yersinia Pestis, carried by fleas).
Recent studies have linked exposure to pets, fleas and flea-borne diseases such as the bacterial infection bartonella, which causes cat scratch fever.
Fleas linked to rheumatoid arthritis
Fleas linked to rheumatoid arthritis Bartonella, a bacterium historically associated with cat scratch fever and transmitted predominately by fleas, may play a role in human rheumatoid illnesses such as arthritis, according to a report in Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Researchers from North Carolina State University tested blood samples from 296 patients for evidence of Bartonella infection. The patients had previously been diagnosed with conditions ranging from Lyme disease to arthritis to chronic fatigue. Since rheumatic symptoms have sometimes been reported following cat scratch disease, the researchers wanted to see if these patients tested positive for Bartonella henselae. B. henselae cause cat scratch disease and is a species of Bartonella that can be carried in a cat’s blood for months to years.
How to have pets and avoid flea borne disease
Having pets is a great part of life, but keeping them free of parasites and other diseases is critical both for their health and the health of your whole family.
The good news is fleas are reasonably easy to control nowadays. There are some new fast, easy and effective flea and tick treatments for cats and dogs which means you just don't need to put up with itchy pets and the health risks of parasites like fleas in your home.
Read more about how effective flea control can keep your family healthy at Cairns Pet News.
