HOUSTON — We’re all too familiar with mosquitos here in Texas, but there’s another bloodsucker that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants you to know about.
We're talking about sand flies and they’re about a quarter the size of typical mosquitoes. They’re so small they can slip through normal mosquito nets on window screens or in tents.
Sand flies can transmit a parasite that causes leishmaniasis, which is an infectious skin disease. According to the CDC, leishmaniasis has been detected in a number of tissue samples from people who haven’t traveled outside the country.
Most of the samples looked at by the CDC are from Texas. According to CNN, Texas is the only state that requires doctors to report cases of leishmaniasis, though sand flies are found in several southwestern and southern states.
Leishmaniasis can affect internal organs, including the liver, spleen and bone marrow. It can be fatal in severe cases if left untreated, though a CNN report notes that the most severe form of leishmaniasis hasn't been transmitted in the U.S.
Experts say sand flies can be repelled by bug spray. They also say to see a doctor if a bug bite doesn’t go away or if you notice new sores.