Insects and parasites that burrow into human skin include scabies, bot flies, hookworms and cercariae, according to Cleveland Clinic. Chigoe fleas, otherwise known as sand fleas, also burrow under the skin of their hosts, notes HowStuffWorks. Ticks partially burrow into the skin by attaching their heads to the flesh, explains FamilyEducation.
Scabies are common in poorer communities and tend to develop in children and teenagers more often than adults, explains Cleveland Clinic. People usually contract the mites through contact with other infected people or their clothing and bed linens. Female mites burrow under the skin and lay eggs, which then hatch and either stay on the host or move to other sources.
Americans who contract human bot flies often pick them up after traveling to South and Central America. Similar to scabies, bot flies occur more frequently among people of low socioeconomic status. Alcoholics, diabetics and people with psychiatric illness or vascular occlusive disease are also at increased risk of acquiring bot flies, notes Cleveland Clinic.
Hookworms are very common in people who live in the Southeastern United States, Asia, Africa and Latin America, as the parasites thrive in warm and humid climates. Ticks reside in wooded areas and are carried on wild animals such as deer and raccoons, explains FamilyEducation. They are difficult to see because they are small and their brown exterior helps them blend in with their surroundings.
