UK Health Officials Report Surge in Scabies Cases, Raising Contagion Concerns
A highly contagious skin infection once common inโ Victorian times, โขscabies, โขisโ experiencing a meaningful resurgence in the United โKingdom, prompting health concerns.Diagnoses have risen โsharply, according to data โfrom โฃthe UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA),โค jumping from approximately 1,400 in 2022 โto nearly 4,900โฃ in โฃ2024.
Scabies โขis causedโค by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite,which burrows into the skin,causingโ intense itching โand a rash. The infection โขspreads throughโ prolonged, close skin-to-skin contact. The โคrash is frequently enough mistaken for eczema or other skin conditions, leading to potential delays in treatment, and โขcan even be contractedโฃ without immediately showing symptoms, increasing theโ risk of further transmission.
“Scabies โis very contagious and spreads very โคquickly, so it needs to be caught early to limit infections,” โฃDr. Firas al-niaimi,a โLondon-based โconsultant dermatologist,told The Sun.
Symptoms typically โขappear between two and eight weeks after infection. the National Health Service (NHS) states the rash generally affects the entire body, excluding the head and neck, and commonly appears between โthe fingers, โaround the wrists, underโฃ the arms, and around the waist, groin, and โbuttocks. However, the NHS notes that older individuals and young children may develop a rash on theirโ head, neck, palms, and soles of their feet. The rash can also be more tough to identify โon brown or black skin.
While notโค typically a serious condition, scabies requires treatmentโค for all household members simultaneously, evenโค those without visible symptoms, toโข prevent re-infestation.
