Scabies

Scabies is an infestation with a tiny mite, Sarcoptes scabies, and produces small, intensely itchy bumps. The entire lifecycle of the mite is about a month. After breeding, the male mite dies, and the female mite burrows into the skin, where they lay eggs. Within about 10 days, the eggs have hatched and gone through the larval and nymph stages and become adults. Adult mites feed on skin cells. Itching begins several weeks after the mites have started living in the skin. Like head lice, scabies is no longer thought to be a sign of poor hygiene. Although a nuisance in healthy people, among people with depressed immune systems, scabies can cause a serious infection.

Animal scabies mites, also called mange, can infect humans, but they do not cause a long-term infection.

Causes

Scabies is a public health problem throughout the world and affects people of all races and social classes. It is easily spread in places where there is frequent skin-to-skin contact, such as in hospitals, institutions, child-care facilities and nursing homes. The tiny mites that cause scabies pass easily from one person to another. You can get scabies from close physical contact with someone who has scabies. A mite can live for up to three days when not on a human host. So, bedding or clothing of an infested person can have mites and can be a source of infection. Scabies can be spread both sexually and non-sexually, but most cases are spread non-sexually.

Symptoms

The first time a person gets scabies, the symptoms can take four to six weeks to appear. In someone who has had scabies, it takes less time for symptoms to appear. Intense itching, especially at night, is often the first symptom. In adults, scabies most often appears in the finger webs, sides of fingers, under the nails, skin-folds of the wrists and elbows, but itchy areas may occur anywhere. It often affects the male genital area. The burrowing of these mites leaves very small grooves and tunnels on the skin that may look like tiny gray, black or white splinters. Other sores can be caused by scratching the scabies-infected area. These sores can become infected with bacteria. Infestation can be severe in people with a weakened immune system; for example, in someone with AIDS.

Typically, there are fewer than 10 mites on the entire body of an infested person; this makes it easy for an infestation to be missed.

Self-Care Steps for Scabies

• See your doctor. A prescription for a lotion will kill the mites. Your doctor will also give you specific instructions to halt the infestation. You may need to repeat these procedures one week later. If the treatment is effective, there should be no new burrows or rashes 24 to 48 hours after treatment.

• Itching may continue for two to three weeks after successful treatment, but it does not mean there is a new infestation.

• When someone in your household has scabies, everyone in the household should be treated at the same time. Apply the insecticide lotion to all members of the household according to package directions.

• Take an over-the-counter antihistamine, such as Benadryl, to help relieve itching.

• Wash all bedding, clothing, towels and high-body-contact material used before and during treatment.

• Vacuuming with a HEPA-equipped vacuum is recommended, because live mites have been reportedly recovered from house dust.