The scabies mite can survive few days on furnishings, bedding, clothing, it is enough a short contact with an infested person to catch scabies, sometimes in transmitted on sexual way, but as well it may be transmitted while holding hands. It has been said that scabies is aquired due to poor hygiene, but in fact it may apeear in any condition, to people of any age, race and sex. Usually one cycle requires 10-14 days, the female mite lays eggs in the outside layer of the skin for 1-2 months.

Symptoms:

Itch that appears a few days after infestation, affects the whole body and is more severe during the night.

Burrows that appear as tiny grey tracks on the wrists, armpits, buttocks, backs of the heels.

Generalized rash makes it easy to confuse with hives and dermatitis, in fact it is an alergic reaction to mites and their products and develops after several weeks of infestation. Nodules may persist even after the treatment of scabies, itchy lumps in the armpits or along the shaft of the penis. Acropustulosis is specific in children it appears on the palms and soles. Sometimes mite tunnels may be visible on the skin of a person with scabies.

Because it has a high rate of appearance during the sexual act it has been classified as a sexually transmitted disease, but it also transmits in various ways such as: in people living in close quarters, hospitals, daycare centers, homes, prisons, through clothes, sheets, towels or furniture. But the following groups are more susceptible: those persons that live and work in public institutions, crowded places, care-givers in day care centers, people with multiple sex partners.

Secodary infection

Impetigo complicates scabies and causes crusted patches and pustules, if appears fever, painful swelling and redness than the complicated infection is cellulitis. Scabies may affect the face and scalp of the young babies and elderly patients.

Crusted scabies or Norwegian scabies is a very contagious variant of scabies with many mites but very little itch. Crusted scabies may be mistaken with psoriasis because of the similar manifestation. Crusted scabies affects persons with a poor immune system, with other diseases and mental problems. Severe outbreaks of scabies appear in hospital, prison, rest home. Sometimes even being in contact with a person infested with crust scabies may seem that you catch the disease, blisters, tiny red spots that are itchy.

If people which were in contact with those infested with crusted scabies must be treated with insecticides to be sure they do not carry the mite. Although the symptoms of scabies are specific it may be mistaken with many other diseases such as: skin infections:impetigo, psoriasis, cellulitis, dermatitis, alergic reactions.