CHIGGERS, JIGGERS AND RINGWORM
Last week I promised to discuss the above-captioned topics within the context of skin conditions in our companion animals.
Where Chiggers and Jiggers are concerned, many Guyanese and people in the Caribbean think that these two skin ailments are the same, and therefore use the terms interchangeably. That would be wrong. Let’s define the differences.
Chiggers
Q: What is “Chiggers”?
A: This is a common non-contagious mange caused by an immature (larval) stage of a special type of mite. This infection occurs pretty much throughout the year in Guyana and the Caribbean and in tropical environments. Dogs and cats are infected when they come in contact with earth hosting the parasite.
Q: What are the Symptoms?
A: As with most mites attached to animals’ skin, an itch/ scratch reaction occurs.
Q: Is the diagnosis easy?
A: Yes, if your vet carefully examines the affected areas of the lesioned skin. Microscopic examination of sample scrapings taken from the damaged skin is always helpful.
Q: Is the cure often achieved?
A: Yes. But this is linked with the general management of the surroundings. For example, by keeping the animals away from the infected areas where the dogs like to play or rest.
Many effective drugs are easily obtained Over the Counter (OTC). Accept your vet’s advice as to what drugs work best in his/her experience. I prefer Front Line and Permethrins (never use the latter on cats). Of course, anti-inflammatory steroids can help to reduce the itch/scratch cycle. I always advise clients, in this particular case, to wash the dogs with anti-tick shampoo; leave on the lather for 30 minutes then wash off the foam. The next day, the caregiver can apply the Fipronil – under veterinary advice and supervision.
Jiggers
Q: What is “Jiggers”?
A: This is an ailment mostly (but not only) of the soles of the paws. We know it well here in Guyana, especially where dogs play in sandy soil. In fact, vets speak of Jiggers as the “Sand Flea Disease”
Jiggers should not be mistaken for Chiggers. As I documented above, Chiggers are caused by immature developmental stages (larvae) of a special mite, whereas Jiggers occurs when a special type of fertile (pregnant) flea burrows under the skin (of the dog’s paw), or into the skin of any exposed part of a receptive mammal’s body (humans and pigs included). The Jiggers Flea starts off as a tiny, almost invisible, speck under the skin, then it attaches itself on to blood vessels, feeds itself and grows to a size where caregivers can actually extract the parasite with a needle, as they are wont to do (see treatment regimens below).
N.B. Only recently, has this “Jiggers” infection been given the attention it deserves by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Q: What are the symptoms?
A: The burrowing flea obviously causes great discomfort and unleashes a massive itch/ scratch response. Consequently, the area is inflamed and quite painful, especially when sores follow and there is a secondary infection.
Q: Does an effective caregiver intervention exist?
A: Over the years, I have encountered heavily infected dogs (not lastly in dogs from the villages with sandy soil which border the many miles between Timehri/ Soesdyke and Linden. In every case, the villagers firstly try to physically remove the encapsulated tissue. Also the dog’s caregiver might try rubbing the pulp of a mammey apple, alcohol, disinfectants, a series of herbal treatments, and even Hydrogen Peroxide, into the infected area, before they give up and bring the dog in for the vet to administer the correct treatment. In fact, the extraction process is so painful, the animal almost always has to be anaesthetized. But with dozens of infected lesions, it is a daunting task. However, there are other concoctions which can be used successfully. Before we had functional OTC commercial medications, we placed the dog’s paw into a bowl of Potassium Permanganate solution; and that worked. Covering the wound with vaseline so as to suffocate the “sand flea” did not work well in my experience. Surgical removal of the parasite is only an option, when there are only a few infected spots.
Q: Where did this “Sand Flea” come from?
A: The parasite (Tunga penetrans) is common in the Caribbean and Central and South America. But also it can be found in tropical Africa (e.g. Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya) as well. Indigenous communities in the Roraima Province (in Brazil), which borders Guyana, is full of this infection. “Jiggers” is also known as “Chigoe”. I don’t know if this is a Yanomami word (the Yanomami are plentiful in Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima), but you can detect the similarity of the two words “Chigoe” and “Jiggers”. My colleague and friend, Dr. Waldron, who studied in Brazil, has advised me about the spelling of the word “Chigoe”. I have also seen the word with the spelling “Chegoe” and “Chegre”. But we will let the Etymologists figure out whence this word came, especially bearing in mind that the disease is prevalent in Africa (e.g. Kenya).
Next Week we will deal with Ringworm.
