Chigger is the larva (young) of a harvest mite. This larva is a tiny red creature with a body divided into two parts. It creeps into skin pores and hair follicles to inject saliva and feed. It causes a rash and itching.
The harvest mite is merely a nuisance in North America and Europe. But in Asian countries and many Pacific islands, it is a serious danger. The harvest mite carries scrub fever, a disease also known as Japanese river fever or tsutsugamushi. The larva of the harvest mite usually gets the disease by feeding on infected rodents. The mite keeps the infection as it matures into an adult. It then passes the disease to the next generation. The infected larvae, in turn, pass it on to human beings.
The term chigger is often confused with jigger, a chigoe flea. It is also a nuisance. The female chigoe digs into the flesh, causing a sore.
See also Parasite.
