The first time I was bitten by a leech, I was swimming in a West Virginia river. I remember the scene perfectly: I crawled out to dry off and tried to wipe the mud off my knees, but the leech wouldn’t ...

Around 20 of the 80 North American leech species are found in North Carolina. While leech bites are generally harmless, they can become infected. A common worry among visitors to lakes, ponds and ...