Scabies

Scabies is an itchy rash caused by mites. It’s spread through close skin contact, and anyone can get it. It should be treated quickly to stop it spreading.

Check if it’s scabies

The symptoms of scabies are:

intense itching, especially at night
a raised rash or spots

The spots may look red. They are more difficult to see on brown or black skin, but you should be able to feel them.

Tiny mites lay eggs in the skin, leaving lines with a dot at one end
The rash can appear anywhere, but is common between the fingers
The rash may then spread and turn into tiny spots. This may look red on white skin
The rash may leave dark spots on the skin. This may look darker than your usual skin colour on brown or black skin

The scabies rash usually spreads across the whole body, apart from the head and neck. It often affects skin between the fingers, around the wrists, under the arms, and around the waist, groin and bottom.

However, older people and young children may develop a rash on their head, neck, palms and soles of their feet.

People with a weakened immune system can sometimes get a rare and very contagious type of scabies, called crusted scabies. The main symptom is a crusted, flaky rash that often affects the elbows, knees, hands and feet.

Call 999 or go to A&E now if you or someone has any of these:

Signs of a heart attack (chest pain, pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across the chest)
Signs of a stroke (face dropping on one side, cannot hold both arms up, difficulty speaking)
Sudden confusion or delirium (unsure of own name or age)
Suicide attempt (by taking something or self-harming)
Severe difficulty breathing (not being able to get words out, choking or gasping)
A serious accident, or severe injuries burns or scalds
Heavy bleeding (spraying, pouring or enough to make a puddle)
Severe injuries (after a serious accident or assault)
A seizure or fit (shaking, jerking, or unconscious & can’t be woken up)
Sudden, rapid swelling (of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue)

Things you can do during treatment to stop scabies spreading

If you or someone in your family has scabies there are things you can do to reduce the risk of it spreading.

wash all bedding and clothing in the house at 60C or higher, and if possible in a hot dryer, on the first day of treatment
put clothing that cannot be washed in a sealed bag for 3 days until the mites die
do not have sex or close physical contact until you have completed the full course of treatment