Tungiasis – A cause of painful feet in a tropical traveller

• Published in: Travel medicine and infectious disease Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 29 - 32
• Main Authors: Hakeem, M.J.M.L., Morris, Allen K., Bhattacharyya, D.N., Fox, Christopher
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2010; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Animals; Bacterial infections; Brazil; Chigoe flea; Ectoparasitic Infestations - diagnosis; Ectoparasitic Infestations - parasitology; Ectoparasitic Infestations - pathology; Ectoparasitic Infestations - surgery; Ectoparasitosis; Feet; Female; Females; Foot - parasitology; Foot - pathology; Foot - surgery; Humans; Infectious Disease; Insect bites; Literature reviews; Male; Sand & gravel; Siphonaptera - pathogenicity; Skin Diseases, Parasitic - diagnosis; Skin Diseases, Parasitic - parasitology; Skin Diseases, Parasitic - pathology; Skin Diseases, Parasitic - surgery; Travel; Travel medicine; Tropical diseases; Tunga penetrans; Tungiasis; Brazil; Chigoe flea; Tunga penetrans; Tungiasis; Ectoparasitosis
• ISSN: 1477-8939; 1873-0442; 1873-0442
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2009.11.004

Tungiasis is an ectoparasitosis caused by the impregnated female sand flea Tunga penetrans. It is endemic in certain resource poor areas around the world and imported infestations in travellers can lead to considerable morbidity. With the rise in international travel and immigration, the likelihood of physicians encountering such tropical skin infestations is rising. The ability of physicians to recognise tungiasis early will be immensely beneficial to patients. We describe a case of tungiasis where a traveller presented with painful foot lesions. The patient had returned to the United Kingdom 4 days previously after spending 4 weeks in the Pantanal region in Brazil. A literature review on this subject was undertaken in this article.