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Department of Medical Entomology |  |
 Flea Photos  (Click on images to enlarge) |
For more information on fleas, see "Flea Fact
Sheet"
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Close up of the head of a preserved human flea, Pulex irritans. |
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A preserved specimen of the Cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. |
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A live specimen of the Cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, showing actual colour. |
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The larva of a Cat flea. The larvae feed on human skin scales or undigested blood excreted by the adults. |
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The Rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis, capable of transmitting murine typhus in Australia. |
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Tunga penetrans, also known as the 'Jigger' or 'Chigoe' flea, occurs in tropical Africa, the Americas and western India. The adult female flea burrows into human flesh, particularly the feet. She will remain embedded, the ovaries will swell and eggs are produced, with the body becoming around the size of a pea. This is an adult female Tunga penetrans that was surgically removed and measures 4.8mm. The head & thorax can be seen as the dark brown stucture, off centred and to the lower left. |
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This is a close up of the head of the Tunga female seen above. The eyes and legs are clearly visible. From the top of the head to the base of the thorax is 0.57mm. |
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This patient has several Tunga adults embedded in the feet. The oval sand-like granules are the eggs. |
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More images of a patient with embedded Tunga fleas. |
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This image and the previous two were kindly provided by A/Prof Iain Gosbell, Director, Department of Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, South Western Area Pathology Service |
