Jiggers, or chigoe fleas, are parasites from Central and South America that have made their way to Africa, where they can be found in Sub-Saharan climates, where they thrive in dry, warm soil and sand.

While jiggers can appear in beaches, farms and wooded areas in countries like Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, locals who go around barefoot are most often affected. An estimated 1.4 million people in Kenya have suffered from jigger infestations.

Chigoe fleas feed on the blood of warm-blooded hosts, such as humans, cattle, sheep, dogs, cats and pigs, when their skin is exposed.

When male jiggers will leave after feeding, females burrow head-first into the host’s skin, leaving their the tips of their tails outside.

Over the next one to two weeks, they swell considerably, incubating eggs and causing an intensely irritating skin infection called tungiasis. The eggs are laid outside the skin and fall onto the ground before they hatch

In extreme cases, the host’s skin becomes flaky, and a scalpel is required to cut out the jigger. Alcohol or a disinfectant is then applied.

The painful wounds can make daily activities such as walking difficult. Jiggers can also cause gangrene, tetanus and blood poisoning, which can be fatal.

The initial stages of infestation can be easily ignored as the only symptoms may be itching or irritation. The area where the fleas embed will then develop a callus and become desensitized.

To support the cause to eradicate jiggers, please visit http://www.killthejigger.org/ or http://www.solehope.org/.

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