Don't walk in the countryside in shorts and sandals/flipflops, especially after it's been raining. There are lots of leeches that hang on to the vegetation by the side of tracks waiting for a nice juicy mammal to walk by. They're perfectly harmless really and if one attaches itself to you it's best to just let it drink its fill and drop off again. You have lots of blood and can spare one or two c.c. The other alternative would be to burn it with a cigarette or match.
It is advisable to take some lime with you, and drop on the leach. It will not kill the leach like in cigarette, but it will make the leach quickly leave you without drinking blood.
