[Franky]

People who get this microscopic mite will need medical help to resolve the condition.

News-Leader staff


This week's expert: Dr. Jack Gillispie, a board-certified family medicine physician who practices at Skaggs Medical West in Kimberling City.

Q. What are scabies?
A. Scabies are microscopically small mites that live in the human skin. Their whole life cycle takes place in the skin.

Q. How do people become exposed to scabies?

A. Scabies are passed from one person to another either by the direct contact of two people's skin, or they can be passed by fomites (objects or materials likely to carry infection) that have contact with both people within two to three days of each other. Some common fomites are clothing, furniture or bedding.

Q. Can scabies be transmitted through contact with a pet or other animal?

A. The scabies mite that infects humans does not infect other animals, but other animals can transport the mite from one human to another. Other animals have similar mites that can infect their skin, but these species do not infect humans.

Q. What are the signs that you have come into contact with scabies?

A. Scabies infestation causes a hypersensitive, allergy-like rash on the skin that itches intensely. It usually presents most commonly at skin folds such as the fingers, elbows, groin, buttocks or armpits, but it can occur anywhere except the face. Scabies is frequently confused with eczema, contact dermatitis or other itchy rashes.

Q. How long do scabies live without human contact?

A. Scabies can live only two or three days without contact with human skin.

Q. Do scabies carry any diseases?

A. There is no evidence that getting scabies will transmit any other disease to you. The mite does not come in contact with our blood.

Q. Are there any long-term effects of being exposed to scabies?

A. There are no long-term effects from a scabies infestation after it is cured.

Q. How are scabies treated? Should you seek medical treatment?

A. There are no over-the-counter treatments that are effective to get rid of the mite, and it will rarely resolve without medical treatment. There are several alternatives for the doctor to choose from; most involve topical treatments to the skin and symptomatic treatment of the itchy rash. The rash often takes several weeks to resolve even after the mites are killed.

Q. How are scabies different from bedbugs or lice?

A. Lice and bedbugs are macroscopic, little insects that can be seen with the naked eye. They can bite you and cause sores but do not live in the skin like scabies mites.

Q. How can you rid your living space of scabies?

A. Ridding one's environment of the mites can be quite involved. Your health care provider should instruct you about this when you are treated. Some of the treatments are potentially toxic. That is why effective treatments are not available over the counter. While scabies is not a life-threatening problem, it is very uncomfortable and rarely resolves without treatment.