Scabies: Causes, Symptoms, and Effective Treatment Options

• Caused by: Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis (mites)
• Mites mate on the surface of the skin, males die quickly
• Without a host (human), ticks survive in the environment for 3-4 days.
• Spread by direct contact with a sick person or through infected objects
• The disease manifests itself in 1-8 weeks from the day of infection

Risk factors:

• poor diet
• weakened immune system
• bad hygiene
• old age

• Characterized by severe skin itching (especially at night), which may persist even for several weeks after the end of treatment
• Rashes:
  • • characteristic at the beginning of the disease elongated paired scaly papules (palpable bumps on the skin), also known as tick tracks
    • localization of rashes: interfingers, palms, wrists, elbows, nipples, navel
    • after 2 weeks from the onset of symptoms, as a hypersensitivity reaction of the body, generalized rashes (spread over most of the body) may occur
    • then the face and scalp are usually not affected
    • characteristic erythematous (reddish) papules on the skin of the trunk and limbs
    • sometimes diffuse nummular (coin) dermatitis may occur, which is characterized by coin-shaped, very itchy rashes with plaques (larger than papules, palpable bumps on the skin)
    • blisters on the palms and soles are also common
    • papules, nodules in the groin, genital area

Diagnostics

It is usually enough to establish a diagnosis:

• anamnesis
• clinical signs

If there are insufficient data from the anamnesis and the clinic, then the following can be performed:

• dermatoscopy
• microscopy

During the consultation, an individual treatment is selected for each patient, the aim of which is to eradicate the parasites that cause the above-mentioned symptoms. Ointments for the skin of the whole body (permethrin, benzoyl benzoate) or systemic treatment with oral drugs can be chosen for treatment.

Prevention and disinfection

Prevention:

• the patient must avoid contact with people for 24 hours after using medication
• all patients of the same focus should be treated simultaneously
• screening of family members, team, workplace and sexual partners is required
• the patient must use personal hygiene measures, sleep separately from other family members

Disinfection:

• patient’s clothes and bedding, used for 4 days before treatment must be washed in >60º C water or boiled in 1-2%. in a soda solution or with detergents for at least 10 minutes.
• clothes that cannot be washed are ironed on both sides with steam or placed in plastic bags and stored for 4 days
• coats, fur and leather products are stored outside for 5 days (during the cold season, 1 day at sub-zero temperatures)

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