Many parasites can infect our intestinal tracts and cause all kinds of gastric upset. However, some parasites choose to live in or on your skin while dining on your blood. Some of these creepy-crawlies can be brought into your home by pets, while others are introduced through insect bites or exposure to larvae and eggs.
Ticks
A tick is a type of parasite that latches on to the skin of its host. Ticks will feed on any mammal, and are often carried into households by family pets. Humans can pick up ticks while outdoors, particularly in areas that have long grass. Ticks are generally harmless, although some varieties can transmit disease to humans. The deer tick is particularly known for being a carrier of Lyme disease.
Lice
There are two types of lice that feed on the blood of humans through their skin: body lice and head lice. They are different only in the locations in which they live. Head lice live in the hair of their host, where they lay their eggs and bite the scalp to access blood. Body lice live in the clothing of their host, and access the skin only when feeding. Body lice are less common than head lice because regular bathing and washing of clothes and bedding will generally prevent body lice, while head lice require more extensive treatment.
Mites
Skin mites are more commonly known as scabies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, places where people live or sleep in close quarters are more likely to see a scabies outbreak. This includes hospitals, nursing homes and prisons. The mites burrow into your skin and lay eggs, which causes intense itching, sometimes accompanied by a rash. Scabies is treated with a medicated cream or lotion.
Worms
Both hookworms and roundworms can infect your skin in their larval forms. Roundworms are passed through the bite of the female black fly, and hookworm larvae are picked up by walking barefoot in an infected area. Both infections lead to intense itching and a rash. A hookworm infection, also called "creeping eruption," will generally clear up on its own, although Medline Plus notes that anti-parisitic drugs will clear up the infection more quickly. An adult roundworm can live in the skin of a host for up to fifteen years, and the infection can lead to blindness if left untreated. Roundworm infections, also called "river blindness" are most common in tropical areas of Africa and South America.
