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Sand flies can bite and infect people with leishmaniasis, a disease that can cause ulcers and scars on the skin, and sometimes affect internal organs.

How sand flies can spread a flesh-eating parasite in the US

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease once considered exclusive to travelers, but is now being found in US residents who have never traveled outside the country. The disease is transmitted by sand flies, which are found in warm, rural, and forested areas.