What is Scabies Rash?

Scabies is a microscopic "bug" that goes under the surface of the skin causing a rash. It is an infestation of the skin with the microscopic mite Sarcoptes scabei. Infestation is common, found worldwide, and affects people of all races and social classes. Scabies spreads rapidly under crowded conditions where there is frequent skin-to-skin contact between people, such as in hospitals, institutions, child-care facilities, and nursing homes. The mites can live for up to 3 days outside of the human body. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to tell how you got infected, because symptoms can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to appear after initial exposure, and last for up to 2 to 3 weeks after treatment.

How soon after infestation will symptoms begin?

For a person who has never been infested with scabies, after infestation, symptoms may take 4-6 weeks to begin. For a person who has had infected before, symptoms appear within several days. Mostly, people with weakened immune systems and the elderly are at risk for a more severe form of scabies, called Norwegian or crusted scabies. This kind of mites are spread more easily by persons who have Norwegian than by persons with other types of scabies.

When you were infected by scabies, you will:

• Incredibly itchy, and the itching gets worse at night.
• Pimple-like irritations and burrows of the skin, especially the webbing between the fingers; the skin folds on the wrist, elbow, or knee; the penis, the breast, or shoulder blades.
• Intense itching, especially at night and over most of the body.
• Sores on the body caused by scratching. These sores can sometimes become infected with bacteria.

If you think you might be infected with scabies rash, try not to scratch. Scratching may cause sores, which can get infected by other bacteria and lead to further problems. Scratching also can easily spread the scabies mites to other parts of your body by your fingers.