All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. This is paralleled by intense inflammation of the surrounding tissue. Molecular characterization of tunga trimamillata and t. Google search was the main search machine used, and the sites visited included cochrane and pubmed. Tungiasis is a neglected parasitic skin disease caused by the permanent penetration of the female sand flea also called jigger flea tunga penetrans into the skin of its host. The flea is also referred to as the jigger, nigua, chica, pico, pique or suthi. Infestation by tunga penetrans jama dermatology jama network. In some communities, prevalence may be as high as 50% in the general. Although there are no medications to control it, also scientists, doctors and veterinarians who specialize in the subject, worldwide, are outdated. Infection with the sand flea tunga penetrans tungiasis in a. Tungiasis is caused by tunga penetrans, a 1mm long sand flea, also known as the chigoe or jigger flea, which infests swine, human, and other mammalian hosts. It is an infestation of the skin by a burrowing flea called chigoe fleas. Although associated with debilitating acute and chronic morbidity, there. Morbidity of ten pigs with high sand flea intensities detected during high transmission seasons in an endemic area in busoga sub region, uganda is described in detail.
The ectoparasitosis is associated with poverty and occurs in many resourcepoor communities in the caribbean, south america and africa. Tungiasis is an infestation by the burrowing flea tunga penetrans or related species. The patient manifested characteristic lesions of white. The disease occurs in economically deprived communities in subsaharan africa, south america, and the caribbean and sporadically affects travellers visiting endemic areas franck et al. Tungiasis is an ectoparasitic skin disease caused by the female sand flea t penetrans.
Tungiasis is a parasitic skin disease caused by the female sand flea tunga penetrans, which burrows into the skin, usually on the feet. Most of the european reports belonged to travelers. During a study on tungiasisrelated disease in an economically depressed area in. Unlike other fleas it does not jump well, and so most often afflicts the feet. Most commonly it affects the feet, mainly the inter digital and subungal. Epidemiology of tunga penetrans infestation in selected. Larvae are found in various types of soil, although dry and sandy ground seems to be particularly suited to their development. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Saharan africa and asia up to the west coast of india.
The pig has been considered to be the main reservoir, but tunga penetrans has been reported in cows, dogs, cats, goats and rats. Pdf tungiasis is a neglected parasitic skin disease caused by the. Biology and transmission of an intriguing parasite. Towards the improvement of stakeholders awareness of animal tungiasis, we report 10 unusual severe clinical cases of pig tungiasis which were associated with very high infection intensities of t. Tungiasis is an endemic disease in certain poor areas around the world. It is caused by an inflammatory response against penetrated female sand fleas tunga penetrans embedded in the skin of the host. Two severe cases of tungiasis in goat kids in uganda. In a doortodoor survey, the population of a randomly selected area n 1,460 was examined on four.
Cutaneous infestation by tunga penetrans, international. Tunga penetrans is a small flea of about 1 mm in length. The parasitic skin disease tungiasis is caused by the permanent penetration of the female sand flea tunga penetrans into the epidermis of its host. It inflicts misery upon tens of millions of people, mostly children, across central and south america and subsaharan africa, and yet there is no globally accepted roadmap for its control. Tungiasis is caused by the penetration of the female sand flea tunga penetrans into the epidermis. Tungiasis sand flea disease is caused by the penetration of females of tunga penetrans into the skin of the feet. Oct 30, 2014 biology and transmission of an intriguing parasite. Tungiasis is caused by tunga penetrans, a variety of freeliving flea that is. Tungiasis is the infestation by the female sand flea, tunga penetrans also called chigoe flea, jigger flea. After penetration, the female undergoes a hypertrophy and reaches the size of a pea. Painful lesions on the feetthe first imported case from guineabissau article pdf available in case reports in medicine 20103. A detailed clinical and pathologic description of bovine tungiasis, together with electron microscopy and molecular diagnostics to establish the identity of the. Eggs are shed by the gravid female into the environment. Synonyms for tunga penetrans include sarcopsylla penetrans, pulex penetrates, and many others.
Genetic and rare diseases information center gard po box 8126, gaithersburg, md 208988126 toll free. Tungiasis is a tropical skin disease caused by the sand flea tunga penetrans. It has rarely been reported in the south asia, including in india and pakistan,4 but not in nepal, to this date. T penetrans is commonly known as the jigger flea, chigoe or sand flea. It is caused by the female flea, tunga penetrans, which burrows into the skin of its host to feed while producing and extruding eggs. This report describes a case of tungiasis occurring in a new york resident who acquired. The abdomen becomes enormously enlarged between the second and third segments so that the flea forms a round sac. These fleas tend to infest those who have inadequate. Tungiasis is a disease endemic to poor communities in latin america, the caribbean and africa. Tungiasis is a cutaneous infestation, originally from central and south america, which then spread to sub. This page was last edited on 29 september 2019, at. The females remain embedded in the host tissue during engorgement and eggproduction.
Tunga penetrans chigoe flea or jigger is a parasitic insect found in most tropical and subtropical climates. It has been accepted for inclusion in journal of the arkansas academy of science. This study therefore sought to investigate epidemiology of tungiasis in selected areas in kiharu. Epidemiology of tunga penetrans infestation in selected areas. It is generally assumed that lesions are confined to the feet. Tunga penetrans is the smallest known flea, measuring 1 mm across. Tungiasis is a skin infestation with the burrowing flea tunga penetrans or related species. More needs to be done to ensure a flea free environment, including extermination and sanitation measures, improvements in home construction and making clean bedding more commonplace. Acute and chronic inflammation leads to the development of painful and debilitating clinical pathology. The fleas are usually found between the toes or under toe nails, and humans acquire the infection when walking. Tungiasis is a parasitic skin disease brought about by female tunga penetrans when they burrow into the skin of their hosts. Tunga penetrans and tunga trimamillata belong to the genus tunga of the order siphonaptera and are unique within the realm of fleas in such a way that nonfertilized females penetrate into. Infestation by the flea tunga penetrans, although quite prevalent in central america, south america, and africa, is rarely recognized or reported in north america. Hermann feldmeier, arbeitsgruppe epidemiologie, freie universita.
Tunga penetrans has two larval stages before forming pupae. Although species of tunga have been described, only 3 of them i. To understand transmission dynamics of this parasitic skin disease in a typical endemic area, a longitudinal study was carried out in a slum in fortaleza in northeastern brazil. This was followed by cryotherapy and tetanus vaccination. Tunga infection affects many species of domestic animals, in addition to humans. By its last abdominal segments, which form a kind of cone, the parasite remains in. If you have problems viewing pdf files, download the latest version of adobe reader.
Tungiasisa neglected disease with many challenges for global. Among impoverished communities of fortaleza in northeast brazil, we observed t. Consequent lesions may be painful and even crippling with damage ranging from mild erythema and swelling to necrosis. Tungiasis is usually considered an entomologic nuisance and does not receive much attention from healthcare professionals. Eggs hatch into larvae in about 34 days and feed on organic debris in the environment. It is native to central and south america, and has been inadvertently introduced by humans to subsaharan africa.
Relatively little is known about the free living male tunga adults. For language access assistance, contact the ncats public information officer. Poultry may be parasitized by the european chicken flea ceratophyllus gallinae and, in the united states, by the western chicken flea ceratophyllus niger. We report a case of a 50 yearoldman who returned from a trip to guineabissau with an infection caused by tunga penetrans. The female feeds by burrowing into the skin of its host. The tunga penetrans, is a species of syphonaptera insect, of the family hectopsyllidae. This report describes a case of tungiasis occurring in a new york resident who acquired the disease in africa. Tunga penetrans also known as sand flea, jigger, nigua, or chico is found in warm. Imported infestations in travelers are becoming more frequent and can lead to considerable morbidity. Poultry may be parasitized by the european chicken flea ceratophyllus gallinae and, in the united states, by the western. Infestation by tunga penetrans jama dermatology jama. This ectoparasitosis is endemic in economically depressed communities in south american and african countries.
In europe the disease is rare with only one autochthonous case being reported. Pdf bloodfeeding of tunga penetrans males researchgate. A taxonomic species within the family tungidae the chigoe flea. Its name is said to result from the irritation that causes the host to jig about 1. Tunga penetrans acquired while traveling in africa. Epidemiology of tungiasis has not been widely studied in kenya which could negatively affect effective intervention strategies. Tungiasis is an inflammatory skin disease caused by infection with the female ectoparasitic tunga penetrans also known as chigoe flea, jigger, nigua or sand flea, found in the tropical parts of africa, the caribbean, central and south america, and india. Ellen thompson, andrea kalus, in the travel and tropical medicine manual. Tungiasis is an inflammatory infestation caused by burrowing of the female flea, tunga penetrans, into the skin. To determine to what degree tungiasis occurs at other topographic sites, 1,184 inhabitants of a poor neighborhood in northeastern brazil were examined. Relatively little is known about the freeliving male tunga adults. Tungiasis sand flea disease is a neglected tropical disease, prevalent in resourcepoor communities in south america and subsaharan africa. Tungiasis was evidently confined to central and south america and the caribbean until 1873, when infected crew members of a british sailing ship transported the flea to the shores.
The common name is sand flea and it is endemic in south america. The larva emerges on the 3rd to 4th day after the egg is laid and pupates between the 10th and 18th day 36. High intensity of tunga penetrans infection causing severe. Pathology and diagnosis of proliferative and ulcerative. The parasites burrow into the skin and then swell up. Tungiasis caused by the sand flea tunga penetrans is hyperendemic in many resourcepoor communities in brazil. Pdf seasonal variation of tungiasis in an endemic community.
We agree with bauer et al 1 and di stefani et al 2 regarding the dermoscopic features of tunga penetrans described in earlier issues of the archives, and we would like to describe here an additional dermoscopic finding for this disease. It is widely distributed throughout latin america, the caribbean, africa, and asia, up to the west coast of india. Tungiasis sand flea disease is a parasitic skin disease with origins in. Tungiasis genetic and rare diseases information center.
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