Jigger disease, also known as Tungiasis, is a silent torment that hides beneath the skin — a tiny parasite that can cause unbearable pain, infection, and humiliation. For many people living in rural communities, walking barefoot on dusty ground brings not only freedom but also danger, as the female sand flea burrows into the skin, usually in the feet or toes. Slowly, it grows, feeding on blood, laying eggs, and causing swelling, itching, and wounds that can lead to severe infections if untreated

Jigger disease, also known as Tungiasis, is a silent torment that hides beneath the skin — a tiny parasite that can cause unbearable pain, infection, and humiliation. For many people living in rural communities, walking barefoot on dusty ground brings not only freedom but also danger, as the female sand flea burrows into the skin, usually in the feet or toes. Slowly, it grows, feeding on blood, laying eggs, and causing swelling, itching, and wounds that can lead to severe infections if untreated

What Is a Jigger?