Satisfying Your Curiosity About Parasitic Skin Infections

Tiny insects and worms that burrow under our skin, living and breeding there, can cause skin infections. Some of these insects and worms only stay for part of their life cycle, while others desire to make their permanent homes there.

Creeping Eruption

Creeping eruption is one such parasitic skin infection that can be transmitted to human skin by a hookworm found in warm, moist soil. This hookworm usually gets to humans by way of the pets humans have including cats and dogs. Eggs from these parasites are deposited into the feces of cats and dogs.  If a person than walks around barefoot outside, they can come into contact with these eggs. Usually the contact is made on the soles or heels of the feet, legs, buttocks or back. The hookworm burrows in a tract that looks winding and leaves a threadlike, raised and red rash. There is intense itching along this rash path.

Lice

A parasitic skin infection that most people are familiar with is the lice infestation. Lice are wingless insects and they can be spread easily from one person to another when individuals share clothing or other personal items. There are different species of lice that are named after body parts, they are:

Head lice - these insects infest the scalp hair. This skin infection can be passed along when combs, brushes and hats are shared with other individuals. Head lice often appear in schools where children pass them from one to another. Many schools conduct frequent head checks looking for these insects.

Body lice is commonly found on individuals who have poor hygiene habits and also individuals who live in close or crowded living situations. This parasitic infection is passed from one individual to another when they share clothing or have skin-to-skin contact with each other.

Pubic lice (crabs) are when the infection is in the genital area. This infection is spread by sexual contact. These parasites live in the chest hair, underarm hair, and facial hair such as beards, eyebrows and eyelashes.

Lice infestation symptoms are extreme itching of the infected area. When individuals who are infected scratch, they may break the skin causing possible bacterial infections.

It is not often possible to actually see the lice; however the eggs they lay on the hair can be seen. The eggs are called nits and stick to hair. Usually nits are found at the scalp, but when there is chronic scalp infestation, the nits will then grow out with the growth of the hair and be seen further down on strands of hair. The nits are strongly attached to the hair as opposed to other foreign material that may be found in hair that is easily brushed out.

Scabies

Scabies is a mite infection that can also be spread quite easily from one person to another by physical contact with someone who has scabies. It is rare, but there have been cases of scabies being spread by clothing, bedding or other shared personal belongings. Scabies looks like tiny, red, itchy bumps and are severely itchy.