Fleas

The flea is any wingless, bloodsucking insect of the order Siphonaptera that parasitizes warm-blooded animals.A few species of fleas are inactive and remain attached to their hosts for long periods. Chigoes infest feet and toes of persons who walk barefoot in tropical and subtropical regions, causing painful swelling and infection. Sticktights cause serious damage to domestic poultry. Chickens and turkeys may have hundreds of sticktights attached to their head, causing irritation, weight loss, and blindness.The Oriental rat flea is the primary transmitter of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes bubonic plague.