What Are the Symptoms of Sand Mites?
Symptoms of an infection or skin sores caused by sand mites include small bumps or lumps on the skin, which can be covered by crust or a scab, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some individuals experience swollen glands near the skin sores.
Although some individuals do not experience any signs or symptoms as a result of skin mites, others experience severe symptoms such as weight loss, fever, enlargement of the liver or spleen. These symptoms appear when an infection known as visceral leishmaniasis develops and affects internal organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to these symptoms, bone marrow can be affected. With severe infections, abnormal blood tests reveal low white and red blood cell counts and a low platelet count, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Bites by sand mites or sand flies typically occur without the person’s knowledge since the parasites are only one-third the size of mosquitoes and the parasites do not make any noise. Complications occur when a person is bitten by an infected, female parasite. Sand mites and sand flies are most common in southern Europe, the tropics and subtropics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The parasitic disease most commonly associated with sand mites and sand flies is called leishmaniasis.
