Hookworms
It’s not just seashells that you have to worry about stepping on—the sand itself can be full of creepy crawlies, such as the parasitic nematodes known as hookworms. There are hookworm species that primarily infect humans, but beach borne infections typically involve hookworms that prey on dogs and cats. People can get infected by walking on sand contaminated by the larvae pooped out by our pets. The worms can then burrow into the top layer of our skin, often causing severe itchiness and distinctive rashes. Thankfully, they tend to stay there and die within weeks, though some cases can lead to more serious illness when the worms migrate further into our bodies.
