Re: Infections carried by fleas

[Guest guest]

Well, I think you might definitley be onto something with fleas as carriers. My dog recently got a huge abcess near his eye, and now his elbow is infected, and this all came about after a rather sudden and serious infestation of fleas. Not sure why he became infested, but he was really sick and is recovering very slowly with antibiotics. pennycarolesierpien <sierpien@...> wrote: Hello,A few years before I got "real" sick some 19 years ago, I was living in an old house in North

Carolina that had been propped up with some beams. A family of possum would nest under the house and on a few occasions, there was a flea infestation coming in through the floorboards, possibly fleas that were "intimate" with the possums. I remember getting bitten a few times. At about that time, I started experiencing some bouts of fatigue that would wax and wane, the real stuff hit a few years later. I completely forgot about these fleas till just recently.Does anyone know what kind of infections can be transmitted by fleas that feasted on mammals (the possums, not me!)? I am starting to think this may be one of the precursor infections that may have set me up for the rest. Appreciate any input on this.Carole S.

[Guest guest]

Carole,

I was bitten in 1972 by number of fleas from a dog that had arthritis. Within a

couple of months I develoeped arthritis that was never diagnosed for about 20

more years. I did have a bull's eye rash after gardening in South Carolina in

about 1993 and finally crashed in 1995. All of these bites were in Tennessee and

South Carolina. It is interesting to note that the migratory bird paths from

Plum Island to Canada and then down accross eastern TN cover the area where I

lived in 1972.

Also, Dr. Harvey from Houston wrote an article in which he suggested fleas could

carry borrelia. I am not at home or I would look up a couple of links on this.

a

---- carolesierpien <sierpien@...> wrote:

> Hello,

>

> A few years before I got " real " sick some 19 years ago, I was living

> in an old house in North Carolina that had been propped up with some

> beams. A family of possum would nest under the house and on a few

> occasions, there was a flea infestation coming in through the

> floorboards, possibly fleas that were " intimate " with the possums. I

> remember getting bitten a few times. At about that time, I started

> experiencing some bouts of fatigue that would wax and wane, the real

> stuff hit a few years later. I completely forgot about these fleas

> till just recently.

>

> Does anyone know what kind of infections can be transmitted by fleas

> that feasted on mammals (the possums, not me!)? I am starting to think

> this may be one of the precursor infections that may have set me up

> for the rest.

>

> Appreciate any input on this.

> Carole S.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hello a,

Thanks for the tip, a. Found some interesting stuff. Rickksetia(R.

felis) has been found in opossum! This one's in the spotted fever

category. Interestingly enough, at that time I dated a man who had

nearly died from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Seems unlikely though

that I would have got it directly from him, even though we were pretty

friendly ;-)

Borrelia, bartonella can be carried by fleas. I did not find the article

by Dr. Harvey from Houston, though. When you do have a chance to look it

up, I would be interested.

Carole

> Hello, A few years before I got " real " sick some 19 years ago, I was

living in an old house in North Carolina that had been propped up with

some beams. A family of possum would nest under the house and on a few

occasions, there was a flea infestation coming in through the

floorboards, possibly fleas that were " intimate " with the possums. I

remember getting bitten a few times. At about that time, I started

experiencing some bouts of fatigue that would wax and wane, the real

stuff hit a few years later.