Finding of the human flea Pulex irritans (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) in Hokkaido, Japan with human dermatitis caused by this flea

Abstract

A female resident of Hokkaido visited a dermatology clinic after developing dermatitis on her both legs. A flea collected in the patient’s home was identified as the human flea, Pulex irritans Linnaeus, 1758. All circumstantial evidence indicates flea bites as the cause of the dermatitis.