A girl contracts a chigger, the worst happens, and the case shocks the doctors who treated her.
The 10-year-old girl made headlines in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The case that left doctors shocked occurred after a 10-year-old girl contracted a severe case of chigger, which became so complicated that it frightened everyone she came into contact with during the time it occurred.
The girl is reportedly English, but was spending a few days in Brazil when she contracted chigger-zoster. Her parents discovered the condition when they returned home. The cause is unknown, but she was taken to the doctor for evaluation 10 days later.
By the time they sought medical help, the case was so severe, complicated, and terrifying that it made the news in The New England Journal of Medicine.
According to the doctors who treated her, the bacteria on the 10-year-old girl’s feet were successfully removed through a surgical procedure. Following the removal, the area was treated with topical antibiotics.
What is the chigger bug?
The chigger bug is characterized by an infectious episode caused by the female parasite Tunga penetrans, which penetrates the skin through contact between the feet and contaminated soil. Hence the importance of not walking barefoot in suspicious areas.
Signs and symptoms:
Itching is the main symptom; shortly after infection, the affected area begins to show one or more dark brown spots.