Scabies is a contagious skin condition that causes intense itching and a pimple-like rash. It is caused by the human itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis), which burrows into the upper layer of the skin, where it will continue to live and lay its eggs. Within three to four days of being laid, the eggs hatch into baby mites, or larvae, which then move to the surface of the skin in search of a new home. Typically, adult mites like to burrow in warm places, such as between the fingers or toes, under the arms, around the buttocks or in breast creases. It is also not uncommon for them to hide under jewellery, such as rings, bracelets and watch straps.
Though not as contagious as some skin conditions, such as varicella, scabies is contagious and is spread through prolonged, direct, skin-to-skin contact with an infected person. For instance, if your child gets scabies from day-care and you frequently hold him or her, you are at risk of contracting the condition yourself. If your significant other contracts scabies, he or she may spread it to you through close, sexual contact or simply by sleeping next to you at night. Though not as common, scabies may also be spread through shared clothing, betting or towels.
For people who have had scabies before, the incubation period can be fairly long, from between four to eight weeks. However, in persons who have had the condition before, the incubation period is much shorter, at between one and four days.
It is important to note that just because symptoms are not present does not mean a person is not contagious. As soon as mites land on a person, he or she instantly becomes contagious and able to spread them to someone else. It just takes a while for the mites to burrow and cause visible symptoms.
The most common and tell-tale sign of scabies is an intense itching that worsens at night and that cooccurs with a pimple-like, itchy rash. The rash and itching can affect several parts of the body or just one or a few. However, in people with more robust immune systems, scabies localizes itself to just a few common sites. The most common sites of scabies in people with healthy immune systems include the elbow, wrist, armpit, buttocks, waistline, webbing between the fingers, nipple, penis and groin.
In most cases, the rash is pimple like. However, the rash can develop into blisters and become scalelike. This is more likely to happen the more you scratch at the rash, as you then open the sores and spread the infection to other parts of the body.
If the scabies mites burrow in areas visible to you, you may notice tiny burrows in your skin. Female mites are the ones that burrow, as their primary goal is to lay eggs. Burrows look different from the rash and other types of bug bites and appear as tiny, crooked and raised skin-coloured or greyish-white lines along the skin’s surface. Mites do not “travel” in large packs, so you may notice just a few burrows (approximately 10 to 15 per person). There is a good chance you will not see any burrows, though, as, again, scabies mites like to burrow in warm folds of the skin.
If your child or an elderly loved one develops scabies, he or she may develop a rash on the palms, neck, face, head or soles of the feet. Rashes in these areas are not common in older, healthy adults.
On the skin and when left untreated, scabies mites can live for as long as between one to two months. Off a person, however, they will live for just 48 to 72 hours. If exposed to temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius or more for 10 or more minutes, scabies mites will die.
Scabies mites typically go away after just a single treatment. However, in the rare case that treatment is ineffective, treatment may need to be repeated. There is also a chance that scabies will come back, in which case, repeat treatment is, again, necessary.
Scabies does not typically spread quickly, especially with treatment. In most cases, the scabies rash remains localized, affecting just a few areas of the body. It is unlikely to spread once treatment is begun.
For most people, the scabies rash goes away within four weeks of beginning treatment. The itching typically stops after two to four weeks. This is true even if the mites have been effectively killed with first treatment.
Scabies is an uncomfortable skin condition that can cause a pimple-like, possibly scaly rash. For most people, the rash is localized and does not spread to other areas of the body. However, in some people — especially those with compromised or weak immune systems — the rash may spread to other parts of the body. For this reason, you should administer swift and effective treatment as soon as you notice sights of scabies developing on your skin’s surface.