Transmission occurs primarily by the transfer of the impregnated females during person-to-person, skin-to-skin contact. Occasionally transmission may occur via fomites (e.g., bedding or clothing). Human scabies mites often are found between the fingers and on the wrists.
Human scabies is caused by an infestation of the skin by the human itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis). The microscopic scabies mite burrows into the upper layer of the skin where it lives and lays its eggs. The most common symptoms of scabies are intense itching and a pimple-like skin rash.
If you have a scabies infestation, you should treat all clothing, furniture, and household items you came into contact with over the past few days. Scabies mites can live on your mattress for three days, so sleeping on it before you treat yourself and the mattress could lead to reinfection.
Scabies is highly contagious and is spread by close contact. If untreated, it can last indefinitely. Scabies is not caused by poor hygiene.
Scabies is spread by prolonged skin-to-skin contact with a person who has scabies. Scabies sometimes also can be spread by contact with items such as clothing, bedding, or towels that have been used by a person with scabies, but such spread is very uncommon unless the infested person has crusted scabies.
Scabies is most commonly passed through prolonged skin-to-skin contact but can also be spread through infested bedding, clothing, furniture, or towels. People who live in crowded quarters or are caregivers in places like nursing homes are at greater risk.
If you can't wash something in a washing machine, take it to a dry cleaner or seal it in a plastic bag for at least one week to kill the mites, which can't survive longer than three to four days without being on a human.
Items like bedding, clothing, and towels used by an infested person can be cleaned by washing with hot water and drying on high heat. For items that cannot be washed, store in a sealed plastic bag for at least 72 hours to kill any mites. Vacuum and clean rooms and furniture used by the person with scabies.
Scabies is a common disease and typically described as a skin condition with sparing of face and scalp in adults. However, crusted scabies is not conventional scabies. It can also affect the scalp.
Scabies can lead to skin sores and serious complications like septicaemia (a bloodstream infection), heart disease and kidney problems. It is treated using creams or oral medications.
Severe itching (pruritus), especially at night, is the earliest and most common symptom of scabies. A pimple-like (papular) itchy (pruritic) “scabies rash” is also common. Itching and rash may affect much of the body or be limited to common sites such as: Between the fingers.
If you've never had scabies before, it can take up to 3-6 weeks after you get scabies for the symptoms to start. But if you've had scabies before and get it again, the symptoms can start within a few days. You can spread scabies to other people as soon as you get it — even before you have symptoms.
Unfortunately, in practice, scabies is largely diagnosed based only on the clinical picture, which may lead to a misdiagnosis. A broad differential diagnosis of scabies can include atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic contact dermatitis, nummular eczema, arthropod bites, dermatitis herpetiformis, etc. (1, 7).
Permethrin is safe and effective when used as directed. Permethrin kills the scabies mite and eggs. Permethrin is the drug of choice for the treatment of scabies. Two (or more) applications, each about a week apart, may be necessary to eliminate all mites.
To kill scabies mites on items such as bedding, clothing, and towels: Machine-wash the items using hot water and dry them in a clothes dryer using the hot cycle for at least 20 minutes. If items can't be washed, place them in a sealed plastic bag. Keep the bag sealed for 5 to 7 days.
Washing in soap and water or swimming in the sea will not prevent or cure it.
You might also see tiny red or black specks of blood or excrement on your bedding or smell a sweet, musty odor. You can tell you have scabies because you develop a rash that tends to itch only at night.
multiple welts, which may appear in a zigzag line. bites that may appear red or swollen, similar to a mosquito or flea bite. intense itching or irritation. small specks of blood on sheets or bedding.
Wash all clothes, bedding, and towels that you used in the 4 to 5 days before you started treatment. Use hot water, and use the hot cycle in the dryer. Another option is to dry-clean these items. Or seal them in a plastic bag for 3 days.
Scabies usually is spread by prolonged skin-to-skin contact with a person who has scabies. Scabies sometimes also can be spread by contact with items such as clothing, bedding, or towels that have been used by a person with scabies, but such spread is very uncommon, with the exception of crusted scabies.
You also can't usually get scabies from toilet seats. Most of the time, it takes lots of close, personal contact with an infected person for scabies to spread.
The infestation may last for years without treatment and has been called the seven year itch. This is a photomicrograph of scabies feces in skin scrapings.