Health experts have raised alarms over a surge in scabies cases across the UK, with GP consultations for the highly contagious skin condition now at double the national five-year average. Reports indicate that confirmed cases over the past week reached nearly 900, marking a 20% year-on-year increase.
What Is Scabies and Why Is It Spreading?
Scabies, a disease rampant in 19th-century England due to unsanitary and overcrowded urban slums, is caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin to lay eggs, resulting in an itchy rash. Dr Giuseppe Aragona, medical advisor for Prescription Doctor, attributed the rise to a combination of factors including more crowded living conditions, increased close contact after COVID restrictions were lifted, and delays in recognising and treating the condition.
Three Key Symptoms to Watch For
The condition manifests through three primary symptoms: small red bumps, scratch marks, and fine lines known as burrows. The itching is often severe and worsens at night, typically affecting areas between the fingers, wrists, elbows, armpits, waist, buttocks, and genitals. Dr Aragona emphasised that scabies can affect anyone regardless of age, background, or personal hygiene.
Treatment and Prevention
Scabies is treatable with permethrin cream, which paralyses and kills the mites when left on for 8 to 14 hours. Hanna Yusuf, prescribing pharmacist at Chemist4U, reported that year-on-year sales of permethrin cream nearly doubled in January, reflecting the high demand for treatment. The cream is typically applied to the whole body, with a second application often needed a week later to eliminate any newly hatched mites. Dr Aragona stressed that all close household contacts should be treated simultaneously, even if asymptomatic, to prevent reinfestation.
