n. a genus of widely distributed *fleas. P. irritans, the human flea, is a common parasite whose bite may give rise to intense irritation and bacterial infection. It is an intermediate host for larvae of the tapeworms *Hymenolepis and *Dipylidium, which it can transmit to humans, and it may also be involved in the transmission of plague.
n. a small wingless bloodsucking insect with a laterally compressed body and long legs adapted for jumping. Adult fleas are temporary parasites on birds and mammals and those species that attack humans (*Pulex, *Xenopsylla, and *Nosopsyllus) may be important in the transmission of various diseases. Their bites are not only a nuisance but may become a focus of infection. Appropriate insecticide powders are used to destroy fleas in the home.... flea
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