Dangerous Sand Flies Are Now In Some Warm Destinations In America - Here's How To Avoid Them

Nothing ruins a nice day outdoors quite like a bug bite, or several, and these little irritations can be even more concerning when they come from an insect you're less familiar with. Mosquitoes are annoying, sure, but it's often more alarming to see a bite mark or a tiny perpetrator that you don't recognize at all. And with sand flies now becoming more prevalent in North America, folks in several different parts of the country are having that issue.

Not to be confused with sand fleas, which can be dangerous in their own ways, sand flies are tiny bugs that have historically popped up in tropical climates. However, over the past couple years, they've become more common in certain regions of the United States, especially Texas and Florida. Certain varieties have even been found up in Ohio. While there are many different kinds of sand flies, and not all are huge causes for concern, worry has arisen around the dangerous Leishmania parasite that they can carry. According to the World Health Organization, over 90 species of sand fly can act as hosts for Leishmania parasites, which can cause a set of potentially fatal diseases in humans known as leishmaniasis.

It all sounds kind of scary, but there are many ways to prevent contact with sand flies and treat leishmaniasis in the worst-case scenario. Here's what you should know.

There are two main types of leishmaniasis. One of them, cutaneous leishmaniasis, can lead to skin sores, difficulty breathing, congestion, nosebleeds, and ulcers. The other, systemic leishmaniasis, also known as visceral leishmaniasis, affects the entire body and can damage your immune system in serious, potentially fatal ways. Systemic leishmaniasis often occurs months after an encounter with the parasite and leads to prolonged fevers, night sweats, and weight loss.

Treatment options for leishmaniasis do exist, and you should seek out professional medical help as soon as you suspect you might have an infection. Of course, the best strategy against it is prevention, which looks very similar to how you keep other insects away. While you may be inclined to stick to a natural insect repellent like Lita's, if you're in an area where sand flies have become more prevalent, the CDC recommends using EPA-registered repellants that use DEET for maximum effectiveness. Other general prevention measures include wearing clothing that covers as much skin as possible and making sure that the screens in your home are effective at keeping out smaller bugs like sand flies.

The good news is that while certain warmer areas of the U.S. have shown more leishmaniasis cases in recent years, these dangers still aren't common in North America, and most regions are safe from sand flies. It's always advisable to check the risks before visiting an area that's more likely to see infestations and prepare accordingly.