Jigger often go for your feet and ankles Credit: Getty - Contributor. One creature you might not have heard of are jiggers - also known as chigoe or sand fleas. The little pests often go for your ...

News; Health; Insects; Warning over nasty 'jigger' bug so tiny you can't see it but has seriously painful bite Also known as chigoe or sand fleas, the pests often go for your feet and ankles and ...

04/20/2019 April 20, 2019. The tiny sand flea, the jigger flea, is the cause of a widespread health problem in Africa. Jiggers burrow into people’s feet, making it painful to walk.

Left untreated, jiggers can lead to all kinds of secondary infections, loss of mobility and even death. Some 1.5 million children cannot go to school because of the scourge.

Once inside a person’s body, which is usually the feet, jiggers suck blood and grow while breeding at the same time. Once the female flea expels 100-200 eggs, the cycle of transmission begins again.

Jiggers are synonymous with ridicule and stigmatisation. When mentioned, the problem is brushed off as a thing of the past, or as a minor problem that can be relegated for more pressing issues.