Vol. 1, Issue 2, Part A (2019)

Scabies is not an infection, but an infestation. Scabies is a skin infestation. It is a disease of global proportions in both human and animal populations. Earlier research on scabies is very limited due to difficulty in finding the organisms. Untreated microscopic mites: Sarcoptes scabiei can live on skin for months and lay eggs after reproducing on the surface of skin. Till now there are 130 million cases has been registered in the world and around 18000 – 20000 cases in India. This can be detected by recognizing scabies bites and the distinctive red rash. Other symptoms can be intense itching specially at night, pimple like bumps etc. It can be transmitted through direct contact of skin. It is not a sexually transmitted disease. It can be prevented by self-care by washing the clothes with hot water or dry cleaning which kills the scabies mites. Treatment involve like topical creams or lotion which are applied from neck to down and left on for 8-12 hours, and then washed off. For severe conditions tablets are also prescribed. Trigger include such as viruses, allergens, dust etc. It is not like other normal skin diseases.