Sandflies abroad and while traveling: are they dangerous, where do you encounter them, where can you see them?

What is a sandfly?

• Sand flies are small, blood-eating biting flies.
• The sandfly has a light brown, yellowish color and transparent wings.
• Male and female sandflies feed on plant sap. However, female sandflies need blood for reproduction, and some species prefer human blood.
• Sandflies are a bit like the hooligans among biting flies; they are particularly active in the evening and at night, prefer to bite you in the face, and attack in groups.
• In different countries, the word sandfly refers to different insects, all of which bite but do not necessarily transmit diseases.

What is the difference between a sandfly, a biting fly, and a sand flea?

• Sandflies are small biting flies that bite, drink blood, and fly away, while sand fleas are small parasites that bite and burrow into your skin.

Where do sandflies occur?

• Sandflies live all over the world in sandy areas such as beaches and deserts, but only in areas with sufficient moisture to lay eggs in the sand.
• Contrary to what the name suggests, sandflies can also be found in cities and at the edges of forests and jungles.
• In Europe, sandflies appear mainly in the Mediterranean countries around the summer but are slowly moving northwards due to climate change.
• In New Zealand, the 'sandfly' is dark in color and harder to recognize as a sandfly (because it is not a sandfly, but a biting midge).

Are sandflies and biting flies dangerous?

• Sandflies can transmit various diseases, including the dangerous sandfly disease leishmaniasis. A small fraction of the more than 1,000 species of sandflies can transmit the disease leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis normally causes mild symptoms but can also be fatal.
• In some areas, sandflies also spread other infectious diseases. So make sure you get good information at your destination.
• What can you do about sandflies and biting flies?
• Use DEET, protective clothing, and a mosquito net to keep sandflies at bay.
• Sandflies cannot, in principle, bite through clothing.

What can you do if you have been bitten by sandflies?

• After a sandfly bite, you get bumps that look like mosquito bites. Since they attack in groups, you often get bitten a lot at once.
• The bumps cause a very irritating itch and tickle, which also increases in the days before they disappear (5 to 7 days).
• Scratch carefully, because if you scratch them open, you will get infections again.
• Children and young adults in particular may develop an extra large red spot and bump as a result of an allergic reaction.
• The itching and skin rash can usually only be treated with an anti-itch cream (Afterbite, Click Away, etc.) or soothing zinc ointment. For many and frequent stings, antihistamines are sometimes helpful.