Tungiasis (Causative Agent - Tunga penetrans) Clinical Image

Tungiasis General Comments:

• Other names - Nigua, Pio and bicho de pie, Pique.
• Inflammatory skin disease caused by infection of the female ectoparasitic Tunga penetrans flea (aka chigoe flea, jigger, nigua, sand flea).
• Tunga penetrans is the smallest flea in the world.

Clinical Features:

• Produces skin inflammation, severe pain, itching, & a lesion at the site of infection.
• The appearance is of a black dot at the center of a swollen red lesion, with a surrounding whitish halo.
• Desquamation of the skin is seen, particularly as the flea becomes larger.

Epidemiology:

• Seen in tropical parts of Africa, Caribbean, Central & South America, & India.
• Tungiasis is present in around 88 countries.
• Prevalence of the disease approaches 50% in some poor highly endemic communities such as found in Brazil, Nigeria, Trinidad & Tobago.

Management:

• Mostly through surgical extraction of the flea followed by the topical application of an antibiotic preparation.
• No drug that has been shown to be effective against embedded fleas.
• If no treatment is undertaken, the embedded fleas will die within 5 weeks & then will naturally be sloughed off with skin shedding.

Image: Tungiasis - with flea being removed from foot.

Image Source: by Adele Booysen on flickr (cc)

Tags: Antibiotics - Brazil - Chigoe Flea - Flea - Jigger - Nigeria - Surgery - Trinidad - Tobago - Topical Antibiotics - Tunga penetrans - Tungiasis
Posted by Medicalchemy
Medicalchemy Group: History of Medicine - Images - Mnemonics - Syndromes - Anaesthesiology - Anatomy - Biochemistry - Cardiology - Dermatology - Drugs - Emergency Medicine -Endocrinology - Gastroenterology - Genetics - Geriatrics - Gynecology - Haematology - Hepatology - Immunology - Infection - Intensive Care - Metabolic Medicine - Microbiology -Nephrology - Neuroscience - Nutrition - Obstetrics - Oncology - Ophthalmology - Orthopaedics - Otolaryngology - Palliative Care - Parasitology - Pathology - Pharmacology - Physiology -Psychiatry - Public Health - Radiology - Respiratory - Surgery - Toxicology - Tropical Medicine - Urology - Vascular - Virology.