Warning issued as scabies cases rise – here are the symptoms to look out for

If you’re feeling a little itchy, please don’t ignore it. And please, please don’t scratch it.

The mites can’t jump or fly. But once they land on a new victim, they can crawl at 2.5cm a minute to hunt down a hiding spot.

For humans, you only need about 10 egg-producing females making a reservation on the all-you-can-eat buffet that is your body to cause itchy agony.

Ten might sound like a lot – surely you can see these hitchhikers on your skin? At just 0.4 millimetres in length, they’re barely visible to the human eye.

What are the symptoms of scabies?

Just the thought alone of the mites crawling on your skin is enough to make you feel itchy, but this isn’t what causes the symptoms.

Your skin is having an allergic reaction to the eggs and faeces the female mites deposit as they tunnel underneath your skin. The blotchy ratch that follows can feel like it has come out of nowhere as symptoms take up to weeks to surface.

‘While not a serious condition, scabies can be very itchy and irritating,’ explained Professor Hawthorne.

‘If not properly treated, it can spread and increase a patient’s risk of complications such as secondary skin infections or make existing skin conditions worse, she adds, such as impetigo, a bacterial skin disease with oozing sores.

Where these angry rashes appear depends a lot on how old someone is.

In adults, Dr Tess McPherson, of the charity British Association of Dermatologists, says: ‘There can be a rash which can appear similar to conditions such as eczema but typically there may be small spots in between fingers, toes and genital areas.’

For the most part, the mites spare the upper back, neck, face, scalp, palms and the soles of your feet. (Anywhere warm and cosy is where the mites love to be.)

In infants, the scalp, face, palms and soles are where the mites love to infest.

How do you get scabies?

The microscopic arthropod is usually transmitted through direct, prolonged skin-to-skin contact: think sexual intercourse or sharing a house with someone.

The mite can also spread through contaminated clothing, bedding or towels used by an infested person.

A big worry for health bosses like Dr McPherson is scabies spreading among elderly people living in retirement communities, nursing homes and extended care facilities.

‘The ease with which it spread, particularly in group living facilities like care homes and university halls of residence, is alarming given some issues with shortage of effective treatments,’ she says.

Anyone can get scabies, which is why Professor Hawthorne says there’s no reason to be ashamed if you are infected.

‘We recognise that patients may be apprehensive to seek treatment given the social stigma that surrounds the condition, but it is important that they don’t ignore their symptoms as this could lead to them getting worse and risks transmitting the condition to other people – particularly if they are living in close proximity to others such as on a university campus,’ she says.

Where are scabies cases rising?

There isn’t a regional breakdown of scabies cases at the moment, the NHS told us.

Professor Hawthorne, however, says: ‘The rate of scabies presentations in general practice is above the five-year average and rising, with the north of England seeing a spike in cases, but incidences are still infrequent.’

Every expert Metro spoke with said that to ensure all the mites are gone for good, everyone – from members of the same household and sexual partners to care home residents and workers – must be treated.

‘It is important to treat it effectively and ensure that all likely contacts are treated, ideally at the same time, to resolve symptoms and ensure it doesn’t continue to spread,’ says Dr McPherson.

All clothing, bedding and towels used by those infested or potentially infested must also be machine-washed in hot water and dried on high heat or dry-cleaned.