Scabies is an itchy, highly contagious skin
disease caused by an infestation by the itch
mite Sarcoptes scabiei.
Direct skin-to-skin contact is the mode of
transmission.
Sexual contact is the most common form of
transmission among sexually active young
people, and scabies has been considered by
many to be a sexually transmitted disease
(STD), although not all cases are transmitted
sexuaHy.
SIGN AND SYMPTOMS
Scabies signs and symptoms include:
- Itching, often severe and usually worse at night
- Thin, irregular burrow tracks made up of tiny
blisters or bumps on your skin
The burrows or tracks typically appear in
folds of your skin. Though almost any part of
your body may be involved, in adults and
older children scabies is most often found:
- Between fingers
- In armpits
- Around your waist
- Along the insides of wrists
- On your inner elbow
- On the soles of your feet
- Around breasts
- Around the male genital area
- On buttocks
- On knees
- On shoulder blades
In infants and young children, common sites
of infestation include the:
- Scalp
- Face
- Neck
- Palms of the hands
- Soles of the feet
