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What are Scabies ?
Scabies are the ectoparasite
infestations caused in the skin by a type of mite called
Sarcoptes scabei. Scabies is a contagious skin disease mainly
caused by small, wingless insects or mites. Mites are very small
insects and microscopic in nature. They are transparent insects
and are grey in colour. The infestations will appear like small
pimples that will itch continuously. This infestation is common
among people of all communities and is present worldwide.
Scabies in an infectious disease and will spread immediately. In
general, Scabies spreads in crowded places like hospitals,
schools, colleges, child-care centers and nursing homes. The
mite Sarcoptes scabiei belongs to arachnid family and is similar
to a disease called mange (skin disorder in dogs). It has been
estimated that more than 300 Million people are getting affected
with Scabies every year. In Latin language, the word scabies
refers the meaning of itch.
Signs and symptoms of Scabies
Itching sensation throughout the body. Itching may become very
severe after hot bath or during night.
Scabies infestation occurs like small, bumps (sometimes filled
with pus), blisters that will tend to break if we scratch them.
Irritations will be caused by pimples all over the body.
Scabies generally occurs in skin folds on the elbow, knee,
penis, breast, wrist or navel, shoulder, armpit, abdomen and
belt line. It may occur in the skin between fingers and toes. It
may also affect genital parts and region around lower buttocks.
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Skin will get injured due to
itching and scratching and there are possibilities to the
formation of Sores. These sores easily get affected by bacteria
and other microorganisms leading to a condition called impetigo.
Skin condition becomes worst and will always be itchy,
irritated, and red in colour, blistered and will be warm.
Small children may have Scabies in face, neck, scalp, palms of
the hand and feet.
Treatment is necessary for the person with signs and symptoms
of Scabies.
Usually symptoms will develop in 4 to 6 weeks after the
infestation.
How do Scabies spread?
Scabies is a contagious skin disease that is spread through
skin-to-skin contact, can easily spread to sexual partners.
Scabies also spreads through using same |
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cloths of the infected person,
towels and by sharing bed with the affected person. Even very
clean person can get infections by direct skin-to-skin contact
with the person having scabies. There are some possibilities to
spread scabies through handshake, hugging and holding hands. In
some cases, pets like dogs, cats and rabbits may also get
infestations from Scabies mites. But mites affecting animals are
different from human Scabies mites. If we have close contact
with animals infected with Scabies, we may get itching and
irritation for some time. The mites will die after one or two
days and we should get treatments to kill the mites. Pets should
be treated else it may reinfect us every time when we touch
them. Mites can live nearly for a month when it is present in
the human body, but once when it comes out of the human body, it
will die with 2 or 3 days. People with less immune power and
mostly elder people will get easily infected with Scabies. The
type of Scabies that affects people with low immunity is called
as Norwegian scabies (or crusted Scabies).
Diagnosis of Scabies
Diagnosis of Scabies is done by noticing the burrows and rashes
caused by the disease. A part of skin scrap will be taken for
evaluation about the disease and to diagnose the type of mites
involved. There are many chances to diagnose scabies wrongly as
intense pruritus (a skin disorder causing itching in healthy
skin). In pruritus, the burrows will appear like small bumps
that are shiny and very dark in colour. The suspected area will
be rubbed with ink or with a tetracycline solution, which will
glow when a special light falls over it. The skin surface will
then be wiped with an alcohol pad. If the result shows the
formation of zigzag pattern or S burrow, the person is infected
by scabies.
Diagnosis may be confirmed with microscopy of skin scrap. The
skin scrap will be placed in glycerol, mineral oil or will be
immersed in oil.
Scabies treatment
Two types of medications are used in Scabies treatments.
Topical pesticide applications (applied directly on the body)
Systemic tablet doses (taken orally through mouth)
Topical pesticide treatment is applied in the form of lotions,
medicated creams and ointments. This is a cost-effective
treatment with very less side effects. The most commonly used
topical medicine is permethrin (5%). Some other topical
medications are hexachlorocyclohexane (Trade name: Lindane)
creams and lotions, ivermectin, crotamiton (10%) and benzyl
benzoate (25%). Lindane (hexachlorocyclohexane) should be
avoided since it affects the nerves in children. UK and
Australian government have banned Lindane from their drug market
but it is still available in United States.
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These medications are available in
the form of lotions in the market. The lotion should be used as
per doctors recommendation. The lotion should be applied from
the neck up to toes and should be left overnight for more than 8
hours. After 8 hours, the lotions should be removed by taking
bath or shower. The best treatment for scabies is using clean
clothes. All the clothes used by scabies infected person should
be washed in hot water over 120°F and should be dried in a hot
dryer before starting the treatment. The same lotion will be
used after a week or 10 days in the same procedure as a second
level treatment for scabies. Medicines with mild concentrations
will be given to children and pregnant women. The lotions used
for scabies treatment are found to contain 6 to 10% of sulfur in
its composition. Dermatologists also suggest the use of
medicated creams for treating Scabies. The application of cream
is similar to that of the lotion. The cream should be applied
all over the body and should be left overnight for about 8 to 12
hours. After 8 to 12 hours, the cream should be washed off by
taking bath in hot water.
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The person affected with scabies and
their sexual partners, those who have close relationship with the
infected person should definitely undergo treatment methods for
scabies. After taking treatment, itching sensation may continue for
2 to 3 weeks, but burrows and rashes will not appear. The usage of
steroids and corticosteroids should be avoided to prevent itching
that occurs after treatment. Doctor may recommend antibiotics if the
person gets skin infection by bacteria or developing conditions of
Impetigo. In addition, antihistamine will also be prescribed to
avoid itching. Hydrocortisone is used to remove rashes in the skin.
Preventive measures to avoid scabies
Direct physical contact like having sex
with the infected person, holding hands, hugging should be avoided.
Washing all the clothes, bed sheets and towels in hot water is also
an effective prevention measure. Immediate identification and
treatment should be given to the infected person. Scabies infected
persons should be away from crowded places till the completion of
treatment. To avoid re-infestation, all the instructions given by
the doctor should be followed properly, clothes should be kept
clean, and vacuum cleaning should be done for all the rooms as well
as carpets, rugs, furniture, pillows, mattresses to remove mites.
Things that cannot be washed should be drycleaned to prevent mites.
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Article Contributed By: Priya Ameet
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