SCABIES - A SKIN DISEASE CAUSED BY AN ALMOST INVISIBLE ORGANISM, THE "ITCH MITE" (SARCOPTES scabiei). Crowded conditions and/or poor hygiene make it very easy for the mite to grow and spread.
HOW DO YOU GET SCABIES?
Scabies can be acquired very easily because it is a highly contagious condition. Scabies often spreads among school children quite rapidly, due to their close contact. In addition, family members, roommates and sexual partners are all candidates for spread of an infestation.
Usually scabies spreads by direct contact with another person who is infested. Even handholding games among children, or simply shaking hands, can result in scabies being transmitted from one individual to another. Exchanging clothing or sharing a bed or towels is also a means of spreading scabies. The scabies mite does not "jump" from one person to another and does not survive more than 3-4 days without skin contact.
WHAT HAPPENS?
The male and female mite mate on the skin surface. Then, the female burrows into the outermost layer of skin where she lays one to three eggs daily. In a few days the eggs hatch, and the larvae travel to the surface of the skin. The larvae become mites, and the cycle begins again.
The male mite dies after mating; the female dies after her egg-laying is completed, usually five weeks after reaching adulthood.
It is extremely difficult to see the female mite without the aid of a magnifying glass (length is 1/60 of an inch). The male is slightly smaller. However, linear zigzag burrows just below the surface of the skin are often visible to the naked eye. Usually, a grayish-white thread on the surface of the skin marks her trail. If your doctor suspects scabies, he/she will look for these characteristic trails in the spaces between the fingers, the back of the hands, elbows, armpits, breasts, groin, penis, along the belt line, on the back or the buttocks.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF SCABIES?
The only way to find out if you have scabies is to see your doctor. A red, itchy rash, typical of scabies, is very common in other skin disorders, too. Your doctor can tell precisely what causes the rash. If it looks like scabies, he/she may want to confirm the diagnosis by scraping a few tiny specks of skin from the itchy area and examine under a microscope.
If this is your first case of scabies, it may have taken four to six weeks from the time you contracted scabies for the symptoms to emerge. There will probably be intense itching, particularly at night.
IS THERE A CURE?
Treatment is effective and easy if you follow your doctor's instructions. Treatment is so effective that scabies is almost always gone within 24 hours. However, the itch may last as long as two to three weeks.
CAN YOU GET SCABIES AGAIN?
Yes. With a second infestation the symptoms show up much faster. The itching may start within a few hours after contracting the mites. However, you should see your doctor for a proper diagnosis, as the rash may be cause by something else.
Good personal hygiene is essential. Wash hands often, shampoo hair frequently, wear clean clothes daily and don't exchange clothes or towels with others. Also, if one member in the household has scabies, the doctor may recommend treatment of all family members.