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Arch Intern Med. 2001;161:769.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

My first serious introduction to the larvae of the harvest mite (more commonly known as chiggers) occurred several years ago, after I moved to the South. Concomitantly, I also became uncomfortably aware of the inadequacies of any effective treatment.¹ Anyone who has encountered these larvae is aware of the intense and lingering pruritus associated with their infestation. The larvae cling to vegetation, awaiting the passage of the unsuspecting host. When a human brushes against populated foliage, the larva attaches to its prey and penetrates the dermis. It then initiates a digestive process of the surrounding tissue for sustenance, until, after 3 or 4 days, it has matured enough to exit the host and molt. The liquefaction induced by this summer pest produces a papule that ranges from 0.5 to 2.0 cm in diameter. Prophylaxis with insect repellants is the best strategy, but it is not a guarantee against insects, and . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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