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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director)
In the United Kingdom, doctors are currently reporting a worrying rise in cases of scabies, coupled with a shortage of drugs to treat the skin disease. Could this “nightmare” spread to France?
Scabies, an irritating skin disease linked to poverty, has become an “absolute nightmare” in England in recent months. This is the warning cry from dermatologists in the United Kingdom in an article in Guardian from January 2. In question ? Cases which have increased drastically in a year and treatment which is lacking, allowing the disease to spread.
A silent but highly contagious disease
Scabies is an intense skin rash caused by the saliva, eggs and feces of the parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei. Its symptoms sometimes last for months. It is very contagious and is said to spread in a context of precariousness: in shared accommodation, such as university residences, retirement homes, prisons and immigration detention centers.
It mainly occurs through shared clothing or bedding, as well as skin-to-skin contact, such as during sexual intercourse. But it can take up to eight weeks for the most obvious sign, the rash, to appear, meaning people can unknowingly pass it on to others during that time.
Cases which have doubled in one year in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom as in France, cases of scabies have always existed and are commonly seen in emergency rooms. But what is currently changing across the Channel is the number of cases. According to British dermatologists interviewed by the English media, infection rates have simply doubled in one year, a figure confirmed by surveillance data from the Royal College of General Practitioners.
And to complicate matters, this increase comes at a time of drug shortages. Experts fear that the resurgence of scabies is also due to the parasite becoming resistant to existing medications and/or patients failing to properly treat their illness.
And a shortage of medicines which makes the situation worse
The NHS guidelines are clear: they recommend using Permethrin or Malathion creams, which should be rubbed all over the body, including under the nails every day and for at least one day. week. Ivermectin – taken in pill form – is safe and just as effective.
But in September, the Health Ministry issued an alert saying that Permethrin was in short supply and that liquid malathion was also not available. Supplies were reportedly hit by a surge in demand for scabies treatment in the UK and Europe, as well as a surge in the cost of raw materials.
“Given social protection challenges and treatment shortages, public health agencies must prepare for outbreaks in health care settings” said Professor Mabs Chowdhury, president of the British Association of Dermatologists. Worse, this situation could well take a nasty turn: if people do not treat this disease correctly repeatedly, by not receiving the appropriate instructions, this could encourage the emergence of increasing resistance of parasites to available treatments, announced Claire Fuller, co-founder of Scabies Alliance, to The Times. Enough to fear a proliferation!
Nothing to panic about in France, for the moment
Should we also prepare for many cases of scabies in France? Consulted, Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo, is pragmatic.
“Scabies is a disease that can be problematic if it becomes widespread or recurs, but it is what we call a disease of precariousness. It generally spreads among people who live in homes, who do not have access daily hygiene, with an incubation period of several weeks. There’s no risk of it jumping out at you when you come across a homeless person in the street!”.
The disease is characterized by itching, more pronounced at night, in many people. And localized lesions on the fingers, wrists, folds, and are treated with ivermectin (the drug offered during covid!)but there is more and more resistance, it’s true, and re-infestations are possible today.” However, nothing to panic in France.
“If you live in an environment with normal hygiene, this will not happen. It’s not like the Bedbugswhich could be spread through the purchase of furniture or in suitcases.”
The only advice to follow : If you buy second-hand clothes, especially if they come from the United Kingdom, remember to wash them at 60°, or close them in a bag with an acaricide sold in pharmacies, or place your bag in the freezer. Last September, a young woman contracted scabies after purchasing a pair of infested shoes on Vinted.