Where Are Sand Fleas Found?

Sand fleas (Tunga penetrans) are found mainly in tropical and subtropical regions, especially where people and animals live in close contact with sandy or dusty soil. Their distribution is strongly tied to warm climates, dry sandy environments, and poor sanitation:

• Africa: Widespread in sub-Saharan Africa (particularly East, West, and Central Africa).
• Latin America & the Caribbean: Found in rural and coastal areas of countries like Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Haiti.
• Other regions: Historically reported in parts of India and tropical Asia, but far less common.
• Sandy soils: Common in dry, loose, and shaded sandy areas.
• Animal shelters & human dwellings: Thrive in places with dirt floors, cracks, and crevices.
• Coastal areas & beaches: Especially in communities where people walk barefoot on sandy ground.
• Around livestock: Pigs, dogs, cats, cattle, and rodents serve as reservoirs, helping maintain flea populations.

Risk Environments for Humans

• Walking barefoot in infested sand or soil.
• Living in homes with unpaved floors or without proper sanitation.
• Sleeping or resting on the ground in endemic areas.

Sand fleas (Tunga penetrans) are found in tropical, sandy, and dusty regions of Africa, the Caribbean, South America, and parts of Central America, where they infest humans and animals.

What Do Sand Fleas Eat?

Sand fleas (Tunga penetrans) are blood-feeding parasites, and their diet depends on whether they are free-living or embedded in a host.

• Adult Sand Fleas: Males and females feed on the blood of warm-blooded hosts (humans, dogs, pigs, cattle, and wildlife). Males bite and feed briefly, then leave the host. Females, however, burrow into the skin of the host, where they feed continuously on blood and tissue fluids. This bloodmeal fuels egg production.
• Larvae: Sand flea larvae do not feed on blood. Instead, they live in the soil or sand, where they consume organic debris, such as skin flakes, hair, fecal matter, and decaying plant material.
• Pupae: The pupal stage does not feed. The insect remains inside its cocoon while metamorphosis occurs.

Larvae eat organic debris in the soil. Adults (especially females) feed on blood and tissue fluids of warm-blooded hosts.

Sand Flea Life Cycle

The life cycle of the sand flea (Tunga penetrans) is unusual and medically important because it involves the female flea embedding in the skin of a host:

• Egg Stage: After a female burrows into the skin (often on the feet or under toenails), her abdomen enlarges as she feeds on blood. Over 1–2 weeks, she produces and expels hundreds of eggs (up to 200 per day). Eggs are released through the tiny opening in the skin where the flea’s rear end protrudes. The eggs fall to the ground, where they develop in soil, sand, or dust.
• Larval Stage: Eggs hatch within 1–6 days into tiny, wormlike larvae. The larvae live freely in the environment, feeding on organic debris and animal waste. They molt twice, passing through two larval stages over about 5–15 days.
• Pupal Stage: After the larval stage, they spin small cocoons in which they pupate. This stage typically lasts 7–14 days, though pupae can remain dormant longer if environmental conditions are poor.
• Adult Stage: Adult fleas emerge from cocoons and seek a warm-blooded host (humans, dogs, pigs, cattle, and other animals). Both sexes can jump and feed on blood, but only the female burrows permanently into the host’s skin. The male dies after mating and does not embed.

Once inside the skin, the female swells up (to nearly 1 cm) as she feeds and develops eggs. After 2–3 weeks, her eggs are expelled and she dies, remaining as a foreign body that often causes secondary infection if not removed. The cycle then restarts as the expelled eggs hatch in the environment.

Total Life Cycle Duration: About 3–4 weeks from egg to adult under favorable conditions.