Can leeches actually burrow into human flesh?
The leech is known scientifically as "shuizhi" (leech), and lives in rice paddies, ditches, shallow dirty ponds and similar places. It is fond of sucking the blood of humans and livestock, moves very agilely, can swim in a wavy motion, and can also move in a looper-like crawling fashion. It has high medicinal value. Leeches are often encountered in the wild, and many people also worry that leeches will burrow into flesh. Let us take a look below at whether leeches burrow into flesh!
Do leeches burrow into flesh?
Leeches will not burrow into the flesh, because leeches are animals that require oxygen for respiration, and they would suffocate and die after entering the body. Their heads can burrow partway into the flesh, relying on enzymes in their saliva to inhibit the blood clotting of humans or other animals, thereby smoothly absorbing the blood of humans or animals. However, smaller leeches can sometimes burrow into the vagina and cause vaginal bleeding, and can also invade the urethra and cause painful urination or blood in the urine. When washing the face, swimming, or drinking unboiled water in ponds, they can burrow into the nasal cavity, causing intermittent nasal congestion, nosebleeds, nasal pain, runny nose, and a sensation of wriggling inside the nose.
What food do leeches eat?
The leech is an omnivorous animal, living in rice paddies, ditches, shallow dirty ponds and similar places. It is produced in lakes, ponds, and rice fields in most parts of our country. Its main way of life is sucking the blood or body fluids of animals. It often feeds mainly on plankton, insects, and mollusks in the water. Under artificial conditions, it is fed with various animal internal organs, cooked egg yolk, compound feed, plant residues, freshwater snails and shellfish, miscellaneous fish, earthworms, and so on.
What are leeches afraid of?
The leech is a mollusk and has no skin protection, because skin is an animal's first protective barrier, and since leeches have no skin, they are extremely sensitive to salt. After salt is sprinkled on, the salt forms a high-concentration salt solution with its body fluids. The high-concentration salt solution causes it to contract in response to stress, prompts its internal body fluids to seep out, and causes it to dehydrate and die. You can also drip or sprinkle cooling oil, tobacco water (that is, water soaked with cigarettes), table salt (table salt is extremely important in outdoor activities; no matter where you go, it is best to carry a small packet with you), strong vinegar, alcohol (or baijiu), chili powder, lime, and so on onto the worm's body, causing it to relax its suckers and fall off on its own.