What is the cause and how is it
transmitted?
Scabies is caused by the human mite
Sarcoptes scabiei.
Scabies produces intense, itchy skin
rashes when the pregnant female tunnels
into the skin and deposits eggs in the
tunnel they have burrowed. The larvae,
which hatch in 3-10 days, move about on
the skin, then mature into adult mites.
The adult mites live 3-4 weeks in the
host's skin.
The motion of the mite in and on the
skin produces an intense itch which may
resemble an allergic reaction in
appearance. The presence of the eggs
produces a massive allergic response
which, in turn, produces more
itching.
Head Lice?
The intense itching
that scabies causes can be confused
with the effect of headlice or
fleabites, but is a very different
condition that requires a specific
scabies treatment.
Scabies transmission
Scabies is
transmitted quite easily, often
throughout an entire household, by
prolonged skin-to-skin contact with an
infected person (e.g. bed partners),
and thus is sometimes classed as a
sexually transmitted disease. Spread by
clothing, bedding or towels is less
likely, though possible.
