What Do You Know As Scabies?

What Is Scabies?

Scabies occurs when mites of the species

Sarcoptes scabiei burrow into the skin,

causing a troubling and relentless itching.

The itching may persist for about two weeks

even if all of the mites are killed. If an

individual is known to have scabies and

no previous skin-to-skin contact has

occurred with others, prevention can usually

be accomplished by avoiding direct skin

contact to avoid transmitting the mites. It

is also advisable to avoid contact with

bedding, clothing, and sometimes even

furniture that has been used by the infested

person.

Among young people, skin-to-skin

transmission most often occurs during sexual

contact, so scabies can be considered a

form of sexually transmitted disease .

However, other forms of close contact such

as hugging may spread the disease so it is

not exclusively transmitted by sex. Casual

contact such as shaking hands usually will

not result in transmission of the mites

How Can I Get Rid of Scabies in My House?

If a household member becomes infested

with scabies, the goal of treatment (for

example, with a mite -killer such as

permethrin [ Elimite] or lindane [Kwell]) is

also to prevent infestation of household

contacts. Therefore, treatment is usually

recommended for all close contacts of the

affected person. The treatment should

occur for the affected individual and his/

her close contacts at the same time in order

to prevent re-exposure. Permethrin can be

used on infants 2 months and older;

lindane is not recommended for use in

children.

While contact with bed linens and surfaces

may not always be sufficient to spread the

infestation, bed linens and clothing worn or

used by an affected person in the three

days prior to treatment should be washed in

hot water and dried using the hottest dryer

cycle. Alternatively, items may be dry-

cleaned. Since mites usually cannot survive

for more than two to three days away from

human skin, things the infected person has

touched such as furniture or other items

that cannot be washed can be enclosed in

plastic bags for several

days

HOW DO YOU GET SCABIES

caused by mites that is

transmitted through skin-to-skin contact,

including sexual contact. Not only should an

infected person be treated to prevent the

spread of the infestation, but that person’s

home furnishings and bedclothes need to be

thoroughly disinfected.