About the scabies disease, which has been talked about frequently lately, Prof. from Medipol Mega University Hospital Dermatology Department. Dr. Filiz Topaloğlu Demir made important statements.
Prof. Dr. Filiz Topaloğlu Demir stated that scabies is an important public health problem and said, “Sarcoptes scabiei var. It is a very itchy and contagious parasitic skin disease caused by the scabies mite, also known as Hominis. It can be seen in both genders, men and women, all age groups, all socioeconomic levels and all ethnic groups. However, situations such as overcrowded environments, migration, malnutrition, poor hygiene conditions, homelessness and dementia increase the rate of disease. Approximately 300 million people worldwide are thought to have the disease. Because the scabies parasite can survive longer in cold environments and is sensitive to antimicrobial peptides in summer sweat, its incidence increases in autumn and winter months rather than in the hot summer months. “It is especially common in places where people live, such as nursing homes, barracks, schools and dormitories,” he said.
BE CAREFUL FOR ITCHING IN YOUR HAND, UNDER ARM, WAIST, HIPS AND FEET.
Prof. Dr. Filiz Topaloğlu Demir continued as follows regarding the symptoms of the disease:
“Itching, which increases especially at night and with temperature, is the most important symptom of scabies. Findings and complaints are generally more severe in the areas between the fingers, inner part of the wrist, armpits, waist, hip, foot and ankle. Itching, especially in the nipple and surrounding area in women, and in the genital area in men, is typical for scabies.
The most obvious finding is the white, broken line-shaped formations called tunnels, 1 to 10 mm long, which are often seen between the fingers and on the wrist. Apart from this, itching marks on the skin, itchy bumps, millimetric, pearl-shaped blisters filled with transparent water and an eczema-like itchy, dandruff rash may be present. The disease is transmitted from person to person within a contact time of 15 to 20 minutes. “It is thought that it is not transmitted through short-term contact such as shaking hands.”
SKIN DISEASES MAY LEAD TO LATE DIAGNOSIS
Prof. pointed out that since the skin findings of scabies may be similar to skin diseases such as eczema, insect bites, hair follicle infections and fungal infections, diagnosis may be delayed. Dr. Topaloğlu Demir used the following statements: “Female mites, which cannot be noticed by the human eye, are approximately 0.4 mm in size. After mating on the skin surface, the male mite dies and the female mite burrows under the skin where it lays eggs for 4 to 6 weeks. Egg production occurs at a rate of 1 to 3 per day. The larvae mature in about 2 weeks, and the new mites burrow into the burrow to the skin surface to mate and reproduce. Other people who come into contact with a scabies patient, including those living in the same household, may also become infected.
Diagnosis may be delayed because it can be confused with many skin diseases, especially eczema, hair follicle infections, insect bites, and fungal infections. Scabies can be transmitted to anyone, including babies and the elderly. Items that people with scabies come into contact with also become contagious. It has been shown that the Sarcoptes Scabiei mite can survive for up to 8 days under suitable conditions in the external environment and can cause re-disease even in people who have been treated. In order to 100 percent eliminate the scabies parasite from items, they must be washed and dried at temperatures above 50 degrees for 10 minutes or more, or frozen at -10 degrees for at least 5 hours. It is important that items that cannot be subjected to these processes are placed in plastic bags for a minimum of 7 days and removed.
TREATMENT APPLIED MAY VARY FROM PERSON TO PERSON
Prof. Dr. Topaloğlu Demir pointed out that scabies does not heal on its own and said, “The treatment of scabies is planned individually by the physician according to the patient’s age, special condition (such as pregnancy, breastfeeding) and the severity of the disease. Cutting the nails short, scrubbing them and taking a bath before starting the treatment are essential for successful treatment. In resistant patients who do not respond to topical treatments, oral medication is given according to the patient’s weight to kill the parasite. Everyone sharing the same living environment should be treated simultaneously, even if they do not have active complaints at the moment. Scabies medications are ineffective against parasite eggs. After a week, the treatment must be repeated once more to kill the baby parasites that hatch.