CHIGGER BITES

Course overview

CHIGGER IS THE COMMON NAME FOR SPECIES OF THE TROMBICULID FAMILY OF MITES. BITES FROM THE LARVA OF THESE MITES CAN CAUSE LOCAL PRURITUS AND IRRITATION. THIS IS CALLED TROMBICULIASIS OR TROMBICULOSIS. THE REACTION IS USUALLY MILD AND SELF-LIMITED, BUT THE BITES CAN TRANSMIT DISEASE OR RESULT IN BACTERIAL SUPERINFECTION. WHILE THERE ARE MANY SPECIES OF PARASITIC MITES IN A VARIETY OF HABITATS WORLDWIDE, THE SPECIES MOST COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS CHIGGERS INCLUDE EUTROMBICULA ALFREDDUGESI IN THE SOUTH OF THE UNITED STATES, TROMBICULA AUTUMNALIS IN EUROPE, AND SPECIES OF THE LEPTOTROMBIDIUM GENUS IN ASIA AND OCEANIA. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE PRESENTATION OF CHIGGER BITES AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT AND PREVENTION.