Also referred to as Sarcoptes scabeiei after the mite responsible for spread of the disease, scabies is a common infectious skin disease. It is brought about by a very tiny mite, which is only visible under a microscope or magnifying lens. These mites burrow themselves under the skin and lay eggs that form a pencil-mark burrow on the skin. Once 21 days are over, the eggs mature leaving an itchy effect on their victim.
This disease is highly contagious and it tends to spread through direct contact with the already infected people. This kind of contact is largely skin to skin. Scabies is also spread through sexual contact with those infected. This is the leading cause of scabies among the youth who are sexually active. Hugging is also another factor that can lead to the spread of the disease and this has led to whole families being infected. However, the condition is not spread through shaking other people’s hands. Sharing bed clothes and bedding may also be less likely to spread the mites which cause the disease. In fact, the mites causing this disease are highly sensitive, and as such, tend to survive on the body of the host for a maximum period of 36 hours only. The school environments are not likely to offer prolonged enough contact that allows its occupants to catch the disease, unless it is boarding schools.
The symptoms of scabies are mainly seen on the skin of its victim. Majority of people who suffer from the disease tend to have a terrible itch that escalates at night. The itching and subsequent scratching result in the victims developing rashes and abrasions on the skin. There may also be blisters on the victim’s skin. The thin lines which look like pencil-marks are normally evident on the skin of scabies sufferers.
The mites tend to spread more on babies and they may result in pimples on the torso and tiny blisters forming on the soles and palms. In the younger children, the rashes tend to spread out across the head shoulders, neck, soles as well as palms. In adults and the older children, the most affected parts include the wrists, hands, abdomen and genitals.
To diagnose scabies, some scrapings of the skin are examined under a microscope to determine the presence of the mites that cause the disease. These scrapings are retrieved from one of the burrows made by the mites under the victim’s skin.
Treatment may involve prescriptions of both oral medicine and skin creams. The skin creams are more common and the most popular are permethrin 5%; sulfur cream in petrolatum and benzyl benzoate. There are others which are rarely used like Lindane owing to the side effects they have on their users. These creams are normally applied on the whole body. It is highly recommended that the people who live with the victims and have regular direct contact with them also use the medication regardless of whether they have experienced the symptoms or not. The sexual partners of the victims must also get the prescription. In order to kill the mites, the oral pill, Ivermectin is prescribed while the itching can be reduced by using calamine lotion and cool soaks.
