Scabies

What is scabies?

Scabies is a fairly common disease caused by a very tiny mite that lives in, or just below, the surface of human skin. It can be spread among people of all races, incomes, ages and levels of cleanliness. The female scabies mite lays her eggs in burrows or channels just beneath the skin. Young mites develop in a few days and emerge from the burrows. Proper applications of a scabies treatment product kills adult mites and eggs; however, a person can get scabies again if he or she is re-exposed to the scabies mite.

What are the symptoms of scabies?

Intense itching, particularly at night, and the appearance of small, raised, red bumps, blisters or rashes are the most obvious signs of scabies. The areas of the skin most affected by the scabies mite include the webs and sides of the fingers, and around the wrists, elbows, armpits, waist, stomach, thighs, genitalia, nipples, breasts and lower buttocks. In infants, the entire body, including the neck, head, palms of the hands and soles of the feet, can be affected; these areas are usually spared in older individuals. Occasionally, persons develop bacterial infections because of intense scratching due to the mites. The first time a person gets scabies, the itching begins in two to six weeks. If a person has had scabies before, he or she is more sensitive to a reinfestation and symptoms appear much more quickly, within one to four days.

How is scabies spread?

Scabies mites are transferred from one person to another by direct skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact. The mite does not jump from one person to another. At controlled temperatures and relative humidity in the laboratory, scabies mites have survived off a human for 10 or more days, but under ordinary household conditions, most mites live for only a few days at room temperature. Clothing and bedding can play a role in the spread of scabies when worn or used by a person with scabies immediately beforehand.