Which of the following is NOT listed as a health risk of fleas?

• A. Rabies
• B. Plague (bubonic)
• C. Murine Typhus
• D. Leptospirosis

Answer: (D)

Fleas transmit diseases by feeding on hosts and passing pathogens carried by rodents. The two classic flea-borne illnesses are plague, caused by Yersinia pestis and spread by rat fleas, and murine typhus, caused by Rickettsia typhi carried by fleas from rodents. Leptospirosis, however, is caused by Leptospira and spreads through water or soil contaminated with urine from infected animals, not through fleas. Rabies is transmitted via the bites of infected animals and isn’t a flea-borne disease. Because leptospirosis does not involve fleas as a transmission route, it’s the one not listed as a flea health risk.