General Aspects
Origin and Distribution
Ctenocephalides felis and Ctenocephalides canis are the two most important flea species of companion animals worldwide. Their pattern of distribution as found by different working groups is gathered into the following tables (Table 3A, Table 3B).
Table 3A: Distribution pattern of the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) taking into consideration the host animal, the geographical appearance and the rate of infestation (where mentioned)
Location | Host Animal | Infestation Rate | Reference |
Argentina | dog | most prevalent | Lombarddero and Santa-Cruz, 1986 |
Australia,Queensland | dog | most prevalent | Cornack and O'Rourke, 1991 |
Austria | dog | 81.4% prevalence | Supperrer and Hinaidy, 1986 |
Austria mixed infestation | cat | 96.3% prevalence | Supperrer and Hinaidy, 1986 |
Czechoslovakia | dog | 0.0% pevalence | Zajicek, 1987 |
Denmark | dog | most prevalent | Kristensen and Kieffer, 1978; Kristensen et al., 1978 |
Denmark | dog | 54.3% prevalence | Haarløv and Kristensen, 1977 |
Denmark | dog | 64.7% prevalence | Kristensen et al., 1978 |
Denmark | cat | 100% prevalence | Haarløv and Kristensen, 1977 |
Denmark mixed infestation | cat | 95.3% prevalence | Kristensen et al., 1978 |
Egypt | dog | most prevalent | Amin, 1966 |
France | dog | most prevalent | Bourdeau and Blumenstein, 1995 |
Germany | dog | most prevalent | Liebisch et al., 1985; Müller and Kutschmann, 1985 |
Germany (West) | dog | 59.9% prevalence | Liebisch et al., 1985 |
Germany (East) | dog | 45.8% prevalence | Müller and Kutschmann, 1985 |
Germany | dog | 1.2% prevalence | Kalvelage and Münster, 1991 |
Germany | cat | 11.1% prevalence | Kalvelage and Münster, 1991 |
Germany (West) mixed infestation | cat | 100% prevalence | Liebisch et al., 1985 |
Great Britain | dog | 17.1% prevalence | Beresford-Jones, 1981 |
Great Britain | cat | 100% prevalence | Beresford-Jones, 1974 |
Great Britain | cat | 100% prevalence | Beresford-Jones, 1981 |
Ireland | dog | 4% prevalence | Baker and Hatch, 1972; Baker and Mulcahy, 1986 |
Puerto Rica | dog | most prevalent | Fox, 1952 |
Poland | dog(strays) | only a few specimen found on dogs | Piotrowski and Polomska, 1975 |
South Africa, Western Cape | dog | most common | Briggs, 1986 |
South Africa, Transvaal | dog | most common | Horak, 1982 |
Sweden | dog | 0.0% prevalence | Persson, 1973 |
United Kingdom | dog | most prevalent | Beresford-Jones, 1981; Chesney, 1995; Coward, 1991; Geary, 1977 |
United Kingdom, London | dog | most prevalent | Beresford-Jones, 1981 |
United Kingdom | dog | 15.4% prevalence | Beresford-Jones, 1974 |
USA, southeastern Wisconsin | dog and cat | most prevalent | Amin, 1976 |
USA, Indiana | dog and cat | most prevalent | Dryden, 1988 |
USA, Virginia | dog and cat | 100% prevalence | Painter and Echerlin, 1985 |
USA, North-Central Florida | dog | 92.4% prevalence | Harman et al., 1987 |
USA, North-Central Florida | cat | 99.8% prevalence | Harman et al., 1987 |
Table 3B: Distribution pattern of the dog flea (Ctenocephalides canis) taking into consideration the host animal, the geographical appearance and the rate of infestation (where mentioned)
Location | Host Animal | Infection Rate | Reference |
Austria | dog | most prevalent | Ressl, 1963 |
Austria | dog | 18.6% prevalence | Supperer and Hinaidy, 1986 |
Austria mixed infestations | cat | 3.7% prevalence | Supperer and Hinaidy, 1986 |
Czechoslovakia | dog | 2.0% prevalence | Zajicek, 1987 |
Denmark | dog | 42.1% prevalence | Haarløv and Kristensen, 1977 |
Denmark | dog | 29.8% prevalence | Kristensen et al., 1978 |
Denmark with infestations | cat | 5.3% prevalence | Kristensen et al., 1978 |
Germany (West) | dog | 42.9% prevalence | Liebisch et al., 1985 |
Germany (East) | dog | 39.6% prevalence | Müller and Kutschmann, 1985 |
Germany | dog | 0.6% prevalence | Kalvelage and Münster, 1991 |
Germany (West) mixed infestations | cat | 5.3% prevalence | Liebisch et al., 1985 |
Great Britain | dog | 6.2% prevalence | Beresford-Jones, 1974 |
Great Britain | dog | 2.6% prevalence | Beresford-Jones, 1981 |
Great Britain (rural) | dog | most prevalent | Edwards, 1968 |
Ireland | dog | most common | Baker and Hatch, 1972 Baker and Mulcahy, 1986 |
Ireland, Dublin | dog | most prevalent | Baker and Hatch, 1972; |
Ireland | dog | 86% prevalence | Baker and Hatch, 1972; Baker and Mulcahy, 1986 |
New Zealand | dog | most prevalent | Guzman, 1984 |
New Zealand | dog | most prevalent | Guzman, 1984 |
Poland | dog (strays) | 40% prevalence | Piotrowski and Polomska, 1975 |
Sweden | dog | 0.3% prevalence | Persson, 1973 |
USA, Indiana | dog | 18% prevalence | Dryden, 1988 |
Further information
- Amin OM: The fleas (Siphonaptera) of Egypt: distribution and seasonal dynamics of fleas infesting dogs in the Nile valley and delta. J Med Entomol. 1966, 3, 293-8
- Amin OM: Host associations and seasonal occurrence of fleas from southeastern Wisconsin mammals, with observations on morphologic variations. J Med Entomol. 1976, 13, 179-92
- Baker KP, Hatch C: The species of fleas found on Dublin dogs. Vet Rec. 1972, 91, 151-2
- Baker KP, Mulcahy R: Fleas on hedgehogs and dogs in the Dublin area. Vet Rec. 1986, 119, 16-7
- Beresford-Jones WP: The fleas Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché, 1833), Ctenocephalides canis (Curtis, 1826), and the mite Cheyletiella (Canestrini, 1886) in the dog and cat: their transmissibility to humans. In: Soulsby EJL (ed.): Parasitic zoonoses, clinical and experimental studies. 1974, Academic Press, London, pp 383-90
- Beresford-Jones WP: Prevalence of fleas on dogs and cats in an area of central London. J Small Anim Pract. 1981, 22, 27-9
- Bourdeau P, Blumenstein P: Flea infestation and Ctenocephalides in the dog and cat; parasitological, biological and immunological aspects in the west of France. Ann Congr Europ Soc Vet Dermat., Barcelona (Abstr.), 1995, pp 1-6
- Briggs OM: Flea control on pets in Southern Africa. J South Afr Vet Assoc. 1986, 57, 43-7
- Chesney CJ: Species of flea found on cats and dogs in south west England: further evidence of their polyxenous state and implications for flea control. Vet Rec. 1995, 136, 356-8
- Cornack KM, O’Rourke PK: Parasites of sheep dogs in the Charleville district, Queensland. Aust Vet J. 1991, 68, 149
- Coward PS: Fleas in southern England. Vet Rec. 1991, 129, 272
- Dryden MW: Evaluation of certain parameters in the bionomics of Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché 1835). 1988, MS Thesis, Purdue University, West Lafayette
- Edwards FB: Fleas. Vet Rec. 1968, 85, 665
- Fox I: Notes on the cat flea in Puerto Rico. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1952, 2, 337-42
- Geary MR: Ectoparasite survey. Brit Vet Dermat Study Group Newsletter. 1977, 2, 2-3
- Guzman RF: A survey of cats and dogs for fleas: with particular reference to their role as intermediate hosts of Dipylidium caninum. NZ Vet J. 1984, 32, 71-3
- Haarløv N, Kristensen S: [Contributions to the dermatology of dog and cat. 3. Fleas of dogs and cats in Denmark.] Tierärztl Prax. 1977, 5, 507-11 [in German]
- Harman DA, Halliwell RE, Greiner EC: Flea species from dogs and cats in North-Central Florida. Vet Parasitol. 1987, 23, 135-40
- Horak IG: Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XIV. The seasonal prevalence of Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Ctenocephalides spp. on kennelled dogs in Pretoria North. Onderstepoort J Vet Res. 1982, 49, 63-8
- Kalvelage H, Münster M: [Ctenocephalides canis and Ctenocephalides felis infestation in dogs and cats. Biology of the agent, epizootiology, pathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis and methods of control.] Tierärztl Praxis. 1991, 19, 200-6 [in German]
- Kristensen S, Haarløv N, Mourier H: A study of skin diseases in dogs and cats. IV. Patterns of flea infestation in dogs and cats in Denmark. Nord Vet Med. 1978, 30, 401-13
- Kristensen S, Kieffer M: A study of skin diseases in dogs and cats. V. The intradermal test in the diagnosis of flea allergy in dogs and cats. Nord Vet Med. 1978, 30, 414-23
- Liebisch A, Brandes R, Hoppenstedt K: [Tick and flea infections of dogs and cats in the German Federal Republic.] Prakt Tierarzt. 1985, 66, 817-24 [in German]
- Lombarddero OJ, Santa-Cruz AM: Parasites of stray dogs in the city of Corrientes (Argentina). Changes over a 25 year-period. Vet Argent. 1986, 3, 888-92
- Müller J, Kutschmann K: [Records of fleas (Siphonaptera) on pets and small zoo animals.] Angew Parasitol. 1985, 26, 197-203 [in German]
- Painter HF, Echerlin RP: The status of the dog flea. Va J Sci. 1985, 36, 114
- Persson L: [Ectoparasites of dogs and cats.] Svensk Veterinartidn. 1973, 25, 254-60 [in Swedish]
- Piotrowski F, Polomska J: Ectoparasites of the dog (Canis familiaris L.) in Gdansk. Wiad Parazytol. 1975, 21, 441-51
- Ressl F: [The Siphonaptera fauna of the administrative district Scheibbs (Lower Austia).] Z Parasitenkd. 1963, 23, 470-90 [in German]
- Supperer R, Hinaidy HK: [Parasitic infections of dogs and cats in Austria.] Dtsch Tierärztl Wochenschr. 1986, 93, 383-86 [in German]
- Zajicek D: Laboratory diagnosis of parasites in the Czech Socialist Republic in the period 1976-1986. IV. Dogs, cats. Veterinarstvi. 1987, 37, 549-50
