How do you protect yourself against scabies?

Scabies has become more common in recent years, including in Belgium. In HLN, Dr Griet Voet explains how this contagious skin disease spreads, how to recognise it and what the treatment involves.

The scabies mite digs small burrows in the skin and causes intense itching, especially at night or after a hot shower. Infection usually occurs through prolonged skin contact, but the mite can also survive for a few days on fabrics. Because symptoms only appear after a few weeks with a first infection, you can infect others without knowing it. The diagnosis is based on the patient's history and on finding the burrows.

The treatment is intensive: the whole household repeatedly applies a cream from head to toe, and fabrics are washed hot or kept sealed away for a few days.

• Avoid prolonged skin contact with infected people and do not share clothing, towels or a bed.

• Wear long sleeves and long trousers in places such as the cinema, and wash your hands when you get home.

• If infected, treat the whole household at the same time and wash fabrics at 60 degrees.

• Keep your nails short to limit spread through scratching.

Want to know more? Read about General dermatology at Clinique Dermatologie Gent.