Scabies– a contagious parasitic skin disease caused by scabies mites. A healthy person can only become infected from a sick person.
Scabies mites- parasites adapted to life in the thickness of the skin. They are very small and difficult to see with the naked eye. Ticks feed on the stratum corneum of the epidermis, gnawing passages.
In a person with scabies, mites reproduce and develop continuously. There is a daily rhythm in the activity of scabies mites. During the day, ticks are at rest. Ticks are active in the evening and at night. At the same time, females lay eggs in the tunnels they have made. One female can lay up to 50 eggs in her life. Thus, from one fertilized female, six generations with a total number of several tens of millions of mites can develop in 3 months.
Infection with scabies occurs when sexually mature mites are transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person through direct contact (through bed and underwear, clothing, household items, and a handshake). Infection can occur in bathhouses, showers, hostels, and hotels if the sanitary and anti-epidemic regime is not observed.
Main symptoms of the disease– severe itching that occurs in the evening or at night. There may be small reddish spots, bumps, and blisters on the patient's skin. As a result of scratching and contamination, a rash appears; boils and festering ulcers can form from blisters accumulated by pus. Sometimes skin irritation leads to the formation of weeping eczema. Typically, all these manifestations occur on the hands between the fingers, as well as on the torso (stomach, inner thighs and forearms, armpits, etc.).
Prevention of scabies.
You cannot use someone else’s bedding, clothing, or personal hygiene items. Patients with scabies are isolated and treated; you cannot touch them, shake hands, etc.
To avoid re-infection with scabies, all the patient's belongings must be disinfected. Underwear and bed linen are boiled and ironed with a hot iron.
Remember: strict adherence to personal hygiene rules prevents scabies. If you suspect scabies, immediately contact a dermatovenerologist.
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