SCABIES: Bug against Healthy Skin.

In an assembly of Uniben students, it’s common sight to come across individuals with horrific skin reactions as a result of scabies. Yet, many of such students
ignorantly blame the skin reactions on the water source provided by the university. Human scabies is a skin infestation caused by mite known as the Sarcoptes scabiei that can live on the skin for months. These tiny, eight-legged bugs unlike bed bugs are so small you can’t see them on your skin, but you can certainly see their effects.
This parasitic infestation, if left untreated burrows into the top layer of the epidermis (skin) to live and feed then the female mites lays eggs. The eggs hatch in 3-4 days and develop into adult mites in 1-2 weeks. Eventually after 4–6 weeks, it triggers a host of immune deficiencies as a reaction to the mite proteins and feces in the scabies burrow that leads to intense itching and rashes. Scabies infestation may be complicated by bacterial infection, leading to the development of skin sores that, in turn, may lead to the development of more serious consequences such as renal, impetigo, cardiovascular disease and a host of others.
   Scabies is one of the commonest dermatological conditions among students, accounting for a substantial proportion of skin disease in universities. It’s a highly contagious condition that can easily be passed from one person to another through direct skin contact, infested clothing or bedding, Facilities where people live in close contact to one another often see infestations spread easily like wide fire. These may include hostel accommodations or over-crowded class rooms and halls. Scabies isn’t a sexually transmitted disease. Anyone apart from students as well can get scabies. The mites don’t distinguish between sex, races, social classes, or income levels. Skin is skin to a mite looking for a place to burrow
After the initial exposure to scabies, it can take up to six weeks for symptoms to appear. The symptoms usually develop more quickly in people who’ve had scabies before. The hallmark symptoms of scabies include a rash and intense itching that gets worse at night because the mites are most active at night. The rash itself can consist of tiny bites, hives, bumps under the skin, or pimple-like bumps. The burrow tracks of the mite can sometimes be seen on the arm, wrist, armpit, face, neck, etc. They may appear as tiny raised or discolored lines. Continuous scratching of the infected area can create sores that can be infected.

Although scabies can be bothersome, they can usually be eliminated effectively. Diagnosis of scabies infestation is based on clinical recognition of the typical features of infestation, supported when necessary by visual imaging techniques such as dermatoscopy or microscopy of skin scrapings from burrows. Treatment often consists of medications that kill scabies mites and their eggs. Since scabies is so contagious, doctors will usually recommend treatment for an entire group of people who are in frequent contact with a person who has scabies. Treatment for scabies usually involves getting rid of the infestation with prescription ointments, creams, and lotions that can be applied directly to the skin such as permethrin cream, benzyl benzoate lotion, sulfur ointment, Aloe vera gel, Essential oils, soaps, etc . If you’re treating scabies, you can expect that the itching and burning caused by the rash will last for several weeks after treatment begins. That’s because the eggs and mite waste are still in your skin, even if the mites are dead. Until your skin grows new layers, you may still have a rash and irritation.
Prevention is said to be better than cure. The best way to prevent getting scabies is to avoid direct skin-to-skin contact with a person known to have scabies. It’s also best to avoid unwashed clothing or bedding that’s been used by a person infested with scabies. Maintan a good personal and environmental hygiene. Make sure to soak in hot water and wash with warm water all dirty cloths, beddings, towels, pillow covers, etc. These items should then be dried properly and thoroughly. Anything that can’t be washed should be thoroughly aired. Bleach and hot water can also be used to clean other surfaces that may contain scabies mites.