Scabies Home Remedies, Treatment, and Images

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Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

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Glossary

Scabies
In Plain Sight: Skin Mites

Scabies Treatment and Prevention

If a household member becomes infested with scabies, the goal of treatment (for example, with a mite-killer such
as permethrin [Elimite] or lindane [Kwell]) is also to prevent infestation of household contacts. Therefore,
treatment is usually recommended for all close contacts of the affected person. The treatment should occur for the
affected individual and his/her close contacts at the same time in order to prevent re-exposure. Permethrin can be
used on infants 2 months and older; lindane is not recommended for use in children.
Learn more about treatment and prevention of a scabies skin infestation

Scabies Quick Overview

Scabies is a contagious skin condition caused by a small mite ( Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis).
The mite lays eggs in human skin, which hatch and grow into adult mites. This means that signs and
symptoms of the condition can last for months or even years.
Symptoms and signs of scabies include generalized intense itching; the condition is sometimes called the
"seven year itch."
Symptoms and signs of scabies on the skin vary and may include short, linear, or nodular "burrows"
between the fingers, tiny red bumps and blisters on the skin, or a widespread, crusted rash. Often, there
are no visible skin lesions.
The mite is spread from person to person by skin-to-skin contact.
Animals can harbor a similar mite, but when the animal mite is passed to people, it cannot reproduce and
dies within a few days.
Scabies can affect anyone, but it is particularly common in congested areas, such as nursing homes and
hospitals, where it can spread widely.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that only prescribed
medications be used to treat scabies.
The majority of uncomplicated scabies infections are treated by primary-care providers or pediatricians.

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In people who have poor immune systems or who are malnourished, scabies can cause a syndrome called
"crusted scabies" or "Norwegian scabies," which is highly contagious and is associated with skin thickening
and a scaly rash.

What Causes Scabies?

Scabies is caused by an eight-legged mite ( Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis) that is less than 0.5 mm long.
Worldwide, about 300 million people are infected each year. In the U.S., there were outbreaks of scabies in 10
schools in Texas and in hospital workers in Charlotte, N.C., in 2015. Continue Reading
Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 2/22/2016
Medical Author:
Medical Editor:
Melissa Conrad Stppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

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