Very concerned about scabies, GGD Amsterdam is considering further measures

• Eva Doesborgh

  news editor

The number of people with scabies has risen to record levels in recent months. The skin condition is a common problem, especially among young adults. The GGD Amsterdam is concerned and wants to focus on group skills and treatment.

Dr Ewout Fanoy has been working at GGD for 18 years but has never seen so many cases of scabies. “We now get a few thousand reports a week, which are significant numbers.” Especially since there is no obligation to report scabies. “So we don’t have data on all cases yet. This is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Nieuwsuur visited two women who had scabies and explained how annoying it is. “You just want to scratch all your skin”:

The GGD has seen an increase in the number of cases since 2013. However, this explosive increase cannot yet be fully explained. “It’s suddenly gone up even more in the last couple of years,” says Fanoy. “While infections of all other infectious diseases have decreased during the corona virus, those of scabies have increased.” It could be that the young adults have been spending a lot of time together and visiting each other due to the lockdown. Scabies is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact.

According to Fanoy, doctors often don’t have the right experience. The problem is especially great among students. They also often have a general practitioner from their home region. “Those doctors don’t think so quickly about scabies. For example, sometimes they prescribe medication for eczema, and then it turns out it’s scabies.”

The GGD therefore wants to collaborate more with general practitioners. “I’m on the front lines,” says Fanoy. “So it’s important that they gain more experience. Together with them, we need to focus on group treatment.”

Scabies treatment often goes wrong. If one person has scabies, the whole family needs treatment. And that treatment requires some effort: Patients must cover themselves completely in ointment before bed, bedding must be washed at 60 degrees, and clothes must be stored in plastic bags at room temperature for three days.

This treatment must be done very carefully and correctly. The housemates also need to coordinate well with each other. Fanoy: “If even one person in the house is not behaving well, the scabies will continue to ping pong all over the house.”

The GGD is considering further expanding the so-called environmental ring of treatment. This means that not only the housemates have to look after themselves, but also, for example, the entire student association. “This is on our agenda, because the way we do it now isn’t working well enough.”

According to Fanoy, there is a considerable taboo on scabies among young people. It must be broken, she thinks. “Students need to discuss it and get over their shame. After all, the scabies didn’t just end with yourself.”