BBC NEWS | Africa | Ugandan MPs seek jigger arrests

'We are going to arrest people with jiggers for failing to take care of their bodies as per the Public Health Act,' MP Aggrey Bagiire said.

It seems like there are lots of strange stories in the news today.

People are going to be arrested for a jigger flea (Tunga penetrans) infestation?! It's an appalling lack of empathy to treat people who are suffering from an infestation this way. Clearly, they're need in medical attention and not detention. This ranks right up there with the comment attributed to Marie Antoinette-- "Let the eat cake."

People with jigger infestations can have 80-90 or more of these bugs in their skin. Victims, especially small children, often cannot walk or move around, because it's too painful. The only treatment is debriding, usually without anesthetic.


Photo by wokka on Flickr


 

 

 



Photo by Sean FitzGibbon on Aussies Across Africa