Scabies (ER)

For three days now,
five-year-old Jarvis Williams has been itching. One look and the
doctor knew exactly what it was. “I immediately recognized
it as scabies. And the scabies is a very tiny mite that’s
called Scaroptes scabei,” says Dr. Goo.

It’s a tiny bug that digs into the top layer of skin and
lays eggs, “And this causes an intense inflammatory reaction,
it causes intense itching, because the actual mite and the eggs
and then the feces of the mite are all in your skin,” he
explains.

Leaving in its path, a trademark reaction. The doctor points
out on Jarvis, “You can see that he’s got some blisters
here, and then the other thing that we have is this here, we see
these, what they call burrows. And they’re little lines,
what they call linear burrows.”

Luckily, especially for Jarvis, the solution is simple. “What
we do for this is we give him medicine. It’s called RID,” says
Goo, “You apply it on all night, and in the morning, when
he wakes up, you wash it all off of him.”

“The other thing that’s important to do,” Goo
says, “is take all the pajamas and bed clothes off the bed
to make sure those scabies don’t live and come back and infect
the person again.”

Jarvis probably got the bug from another kid- and that’s the
problem, these parasitic mites are contagious. “If your child
has scabies,” says Goo, “you should definitely notify
your daycare and notify your school and let everybody else know that
your child did have it.”

When the microscopic mite Sarcoptes scabei attacks an
individual’s skin, the result is a parasitic disease known as scabies
(SKAY-bees). Scabies is found worldwide throughout all races and cultures,
and it is a highly contagious disease that is spread through skin-to-skin
contact. It is particularly common in hospitals, child-care centers and nursing
homes.

In most case, Lindane is an effective treatment for scabies. However,
your child’s doctor may also prescribe a non-prescription medicine
such as sulfur ointment. It can take six to eight weeks before the
itching begins, and it can continue even after the scabies has been
eliminated. In these cases, a hydrocortisone cream or ointment may
be recommended. It is extremely important to see a doctor, however,
and to follow his/her instructions regarding the treatment of scabies.

One of the most common questions parents have
regarding scabies is, “What are the signs or symptoms?” E xperts
at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list the following:

• Pimple-like irritations, burrows or rash of the skin, especially
  on the webbing between the fingers, the skin folds on the wrist,
  elbow, or knee, sexual organs, or shoulder blades
• Intense itching, especially at night and over most of the body
• Sores on the body caused by scratching, which can sometimes
  become infected with bacteria

In order to completely eliminate the disease, experts at the American
Academy of Dermatology suggest taking the following steps:

• See a dermatologist as soon as possible to begin treatment.
  Remember, although you and your child may be disturbed at the thought
  of bugs, scabies is no reflection on his/her personal cleanliness.
• Treat all exposed individuals whether obviously infected or
  not. Incubation time is six to eight weeks, so symptoms may not
  show up for a while. If everyone isn’t treated, it can turn
  out to be as if no one was treated at all.
• Apply treatment to all skin from neck to legs – this includes
  between toes, the crease between the buttocks, etc. After washing
  hands after the application, a reapplication of the medication
  to the hands is necessary.
• Wash clothes. Do all the laundry with the hottest water possible.
  The mite is attracted to scent. Any clean clothes hanging in the
  closet or folded in the drawers are okay. Items you do not wish
  to wash may be placed in the dryer on the hot cycle for 30 minutes,
  or pressed with a warm iron. Items may be dry-cleaned.
• Change the bedding.
• Carpets or upholstery should be vacuumed through the heavy traffic
  areas. Vacuum the entire house and discard the bag, just to be
  on the safe side.
• Pets do not need to be treated.
• Items may also be placed in
  a sealed plastic bag and placed in the garage for two weeks.
  If the mites do not get a meal within one week, they die.