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SCABIES
LeTreon Clea
4th Block
What is Scabies?
• Scabies is an itchy, highly contagious skin condition caused by
an infestation by the itch mite
• Scabies is found among people of all groups and ages around
the world.
– Scabies spread by skin-to-skin contact with another person
has scabies.
– Less often it can be spread by sharing clothes or
bedding. Sometimes whole families are affected
• Outbreaks of scabies are more common in nursing homes,
nursing facilities, college dorms, and child care centers.
• Scabies mites are very sensitive to their environment. They
can only live off of a host body for 24-36 hours under most
conditions
What is Scabies? (continued)
• Scabies can be prevented by not having close
skin-to-skin contact with someone who has
scabies or with their personal items (such as
clothes, towels, and brushes) will help you
avoid getting scabies. People who have
scabies are encouraged to use care to prevent
spreading the mites to others. The skin
infection scabies isn't necessarily passed on
during sex, but as it involves close physical
contact it's a possible method of transmission.
Causes
• Sexual physical contact, however, can transmit the
disease. In fact, sexual contact is the most common form
of transmission among sexually active young people, and
scabies has been considered by many to be a Sexually
Transmitted Disease (STD).
• Sexual or other close contact (such as hugging) is
required to spread the condition.
• Scabies spread by skin-to-skin contact with another
person has scabies.
• Less often it can be spread by sharing clothes or
bedding. Sometimes whole families are affected
Symptoms
•
•
•
•
•
Itching, most commonly at night
Rashes mostly between the fingers
Sores (abrasions) on the skin from scratching and digging
Thin, pencil-mark lines on the skin
Mites may be more widespread on a baby's skin, causing
pimples over the trunk, or small blisters over the palms and
soles.
• In young children, the infection may be on the head, neck,
shoulders, palms, and soles of feet.
• In older children and adults, the infection may be on the
hands, wrists, genitals, and abdomen.
Risk Factors
• Scabies can infest any human who comes in
contact with the mites. The only known risk
factor is direct skin contact with someone who
is infested
Treatment
• Curing scabies is rather easy with the administration of
prescription scabicide drugs. There are no approved overthe-counter preparations that have been proved to be
effective in eliminating scabies.
• To cure scabies you can …..
– Use cream applications
– Take oral medications
– Take antihistamines
– Wash Linens and Bedclothes
Scabies can be prevented by avoiding close personal contact with
infested people. Sexual contacts and household members of
people who develop scabies can be treated as soon as the
condition is identified so that they will not develop the signs or
symptoms of the condition.
Additional Information
• Treat sexual contacts or relevant family members
(who either have symptoms or have the kind of
relationship that makes transmission likely).
• Cut your nails, and clean under them thoroughly
to remove any mites or eggs that may be present.
• Thoroughly vacuum your rugs, furniture, bedding,
and car interior and throw the vacuum-cleaner
bag away when finished.
• Try to avoid scratching. Keep any open sores
clean.
Scabies Mites
• The mites that infest humans are female and
are 0.3 mm-0.4 mm long; the males are about
half this size. Scabies mites can be seen with a
magnifying glass or microscope. The scabies
mites crawl but are unable to fly or jump.
Diagnosis
• Scabies is suggested by the presence of the
typical rash and symptoms of unrelenting and
worsening itch, particularly at night. Ultimately,
the definitive diagnosis is made when evidence of
mites is found from a skin scraping test
• By scraping the skin (covered with a drop of
mineral oil) sideways with a scalpel blade over an
area of a burrow and examining the scrapings
microscopically, it is possible to identify mites,
eggs, or pellets.
SCABIES
Complications
The Vigorous scratching can break your skin and allow a
secondary bacterial infection. Impetigo is a superficial
infection of the skin that's caused most often by staph
bacteria or occasionally by strep bacteria.
The affect on a pregnant woman and her baby
Scabies can cause a lot of discomfort during pregnancy.
Studies have shown that insecticides used to cure scabies
can adversely affect the embryo and hence can have a
negative impact on the infant. Usually 6-8% of the scabies
repellent is absorbed at the time when it is externally
applied to the skin.
Sources
• www.webmd.com/skin-problemsand.../tc/scabies-topic-overviewCached Similar
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• www.mayoclinic.com/health/scabies/DS0045
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