Jigger/Tungiasis is a cutaneous parasitosis caused by infection with the female sand flea Tunga penetrans.

Tunga penetrans is a species of flea also known as the jigger, jigger flea or burrowing flea. It is a parasitic insect found in most tropical and sub-tropical climates.

Jigger transmission occurs through the insanitary environment, But from one person to another is not possible. The jigger flea causes incapacity in resource-poor communities of developing countries. The flea survives best in sandy and dusty environments –common setting of slums and villages.

What happens when you get jiggers; the jigger is evident as a small swollen scratch, with a black dot at the centre, which can grow to the size of a pea. Severe pathology following an infestation is caused by bacteria entering the skin when the jigger penetrates. These infections can lead to sore formation, tissue necrosis and gangrene.

If left untreated or removed, jiggers can lead to deadly secondary infections or even amputation. People suffering with jiggers usually attempt to remove them with safety pins, thorns, or other sharp, and often unsanitary, objects.

Jiggers are treated by slicing open the skin with a sharp razor and removing the egg sack from the host. It’s a quick step repeated hundreds or thousands of times on a person’s body until they are 100% jigger free. Once Jigger free, their empty wounds must heal, and they are fitted for shoes.