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-Sa...
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. nnWhile 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. nnChigoe fleas feed on the blood of warm-blooded hosts, such as humans, cattle, sheep, dogs, cats and pigs, when their skin is exposed. nnWhen male jiggers will leave after feeding, females burrow head-first into the host’s skin, leaving their the tips of their tails outside.nnOver 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 nnIn 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.nnThe painful wounds can make daily activities such as walking difficult. Jiggers can also cause gangrene, tetanus and blood poisoning, which can be fatal. nnThe 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.nn-------------------------------------------------------------nnWelcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US news, celebrity gossip, salacious scandals, dumb criminals and much more! Subscribe now for daily news animations that will knock your socks off.nnFor news that's fun and never boring, visit our channel:nhttps://www.youtube.com/user/TomoNewsUSnnSubscribe to stay updated on all the top stories:nhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt-WqkTyKK1_70U4bb4k4lQ?sub_confirmation=1nnVisit our official website for all the latest, uncensored videos: https://us.tomonews.netnCheck out our Android app: http://bit.ly/1rddhCjnCheck out our iOS app: http://bit.ly/1gO3z1fnnStay connected with us here:nFacebook http://www.facebook.com/TomoNewsUSnTwitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUSnGoogle+ http://plus.google.com/+TomoNewsUS/nInstagram @tomonewsus http://instagram.com/tomonewsus Less