Scabies: Causes, Signs, and How to Spot It Fast

What is Scabies and How to Identify Scabies?

Scabies is an infestation of the skin by the human itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis). The microscopic scabies mite burrows into the upper layer of the skin where it lives and lays its eggs. The most common symptoms of scabies are intense itching and a pimple-like skin rash. The scabies mite usually is spread by direct, prolonged, skin-to-skin contact with a person who has scabies.
Scabies is found worldwide and affects people of all races and social classes. Scabies can spread rapidly under crowded conditions where close body and skin contact is frequent. Institutions such as nursing homes, extended-care facilities, and prisons are often sites of scabies outbreaks. Child-care facilities also are a common site of scabies infestations.

Common signs and where to look

What are the signs and symptoms of scabies infestation?

The most common signs and symptoms of scabies are intense itching (pruritus), especially at night, and a pimple-like (papular) itchy rash. The itching and rash each may affect much of the body or be limited to common sites such as the wrist, elbow, armpit, webbing between the fingers, nipple, penis, waist, belt-line, and buttocks. The rash also can include tiny blisters (vesicles) and scales. Scratching the rash can cause skin sores; sometimes these sores become infected by bacteria.

Tiny burrows sometimes are seen on the skin; these are caused by the female scabies mite tunneling just beneath the surface of the skin. These burrows appear as tiny raised and crooked (serpiginous) grayish-white or skin-colored lines on the skin surface. Because mites are often few in number (only 10-15 mites per person), these burrows may be difficult to find. They are found most often in the webbing between the fingers, in the skin folds on the wrist, elbow, or knee, and on the penis, breast, or shoulder blades.

The head, face, neck, palms, and soles often are involved in infants and very young children, but usually not adults and older children.

Persons with crusted scabies may not show the usual signs and symptoms of scabies such as the characteristic rash or itching (pruritus).

How to Identify Scabies

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 skin. Though almost any part of the body may be involved, in adults and older children scabies is most often found:

• Between the fingers
• In the armpits
• Around the waist
• Along the insides of the wrists
• On the inner elbows
• On the soles of the feet
• Around the breasts
• Around the male genital area
• On the buttocks
• On the knees

In infants and young children, common sites of infestation usually include the:

• Scalp
• Palms of the hands
• Soles of the feet

If you've had scabies before, signs and symptoms may develop within a few days of exposure. If you've never had scabies, it can take as long as six weeks for signs and symptoms to begin. You can still spread scabies even if you don't have any signs or symptoms yet.

How infection spreads

How did I become Infected?

Scabies is contagious and affects almost 300 million people yearly. It spreads through physical contact and can cause a widespread outbreak. It is highly contagious, and you can catch it by being near someone who is infected. The more knowledgeable we are, the easier it is to prevent the mites from jumping from one person to the other.

10 ways you can get infected

1. Sexual relations with an infected person

Contrary to popular belief, you can contract scabies through sexual relations. The risk factor is immense because mites can jump on you through the slightest skin contact. What’s even more alarming is that they are contagious even when there aren’t visible signs on the skin. Having unprotected sex is always Russian roulette, but scabies makes it even more dangerous. The best thing to do would be to avoid having such relations.

2. Children In Daycare

This is a common way to contract scabies. Children share close contact, toys, and bedding, and mites pass easily. If one child brings scabies home, it can spread to siblings and adults who have close contact.

3. Public Transport

Close contact in crowded places, including public transport, can transmit mites. Brief contact is less likely to spread scabies than prolonged skin-to-skin contact, but crowded conditions raise the risk.