Chigger Bites at Waist
Several hours after returning from a walk in tall grass, a 9-year-old boy began to complain about intense itching around his waist, lower back, and upper arms. Wheals developed on these areas.
Several hours after returning from a walk in tall grass, a 9-year-old boy began to complain about intense itching around his waist, lower back, and upper arms. Wheals developed on these areas.
Chiggers, also called harvest mites or red bugs, concentrate at sites where clothing meets skin; hence the eruption of lesions in this child's belt area. The mites do not burrow, but larva and mouth parts can remain on the skin and may be detected in the center of the wheals.
Diphenhydramine helps relieve the itching. Application of topical crotamiton can provide additional relief from the pruritus and will kill any remaining chiggers.
