BURLINGTON, N.C. — A local mom is warning other parents after she says her son came home with 14 flea bites from day care. It happened at Childcare Network on South Sellars Mill Road earlier this month.

A day care spokesperson said the fleas likely came from a neighbor’s dog into the playground area. When they found out there was an issue, the area was sprayed, kids were kept inside and parents notified.

Aubrey Bridges says the day care was not upfront with her when she confronted them after seeing her son’s bites. She says they told her they weren’t sure what was happening, but her son’s teacher told her otherwise.

“We step outside and she’s like, ‘Those aren’t ants bites, those are flea bites and we were told that if we told the parents that we would get in trouble but I wanted to let you know,’” Bridges said. “At this point I’m enraged and so upset that I’ve been lied to.”

Bridges says parents received an email notification a week after her son was bitten. In between that time she exchanged messages with his teachers about the fleas still being a problem.

She says her son became ill from the bites.

“All 14 of them blistered up and had to be drained,” Bridges said. “He had to receive a breathing treatment. He caught a fever of over 100.”

The environmental health director for the county told FOX8 that they initially received reports of fleas being both inside and outside, but they only found them outside.

“My main concern is for the safety of those children and making sure that from this point on, they do receive proper child care,” Bridges said.

The day care spokesperson said that they check the playground for hazards regularly and would not knowingly expose children to biting insects. They said safety of the children is their number one priority.