Chigger

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [2]

Overview

Chigger or chigoe can refer to either of two parasitic arthropods with similar behaviors: the chigoe flea (Tunga penetrans), found in tropical climates and the larva of a harvest mite that, when carrying a tiny parasite called Orientia tsutsugamushi, causes scrub typhus. The larvae are also called scrub mite, red mite and several other names, and they are found throughout temperate and tropical zones; the name chigger originated as a corruption of chigoe, but the harvest mite is what is most commonly called a chigger in North America.

Pathophysiology

• Chiggers do burrow into the skin but do not suck blood. It attaches to its host, injects digestive enzymes into the bite wound, and then sucks up the digested tissue.
• Warm, rainy days make these parasitic and predatory mites reproduce into large populations. Once the ground temperature is regularly above 60°F, the harvest mite lays eggs, and “chigger season” is underway. This season typically begins in April and ends in the early autumn/first “frost.”
• Chiggers do not like sunlight or humidity. During the wet season, chiggers are usually found in tall grass and other vegetation.
• During dry seasons, chiggers are most found underneath brush and shady areas.

Treatment

Medical Treatment

To reduce the itching, apply an anti-itch cream that contains hydrocortisone, calamine, or benzyl benzoate. If you are sensitive to these medications or have questions, be sure to ask your health-care professional or pharmacist

Prevention

• Keep grass short.
• Remove brush and wood debris where potential mite hosts may live.
• Keep major host away from the area, such as - rodents and other small mammals. Secure trash cans to discourage wildlife from coming near your home.
• Sunlight that penetrates the grass will make the lawn drier and make it less favorable for chigger survival.
• Apply insect repellant to your feet, legs, and mid-section.

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