Recently there have been several outbreaks of scabies in collective accommodation, raising concerns about the resurgence of this infectious disease.
Nocturnal itching, typical skin lesions… Is itch, this infectious disease caused by mites on the rise? In recent months, the parasite has also spread to a high school in Hérault, colleges in Arriage and Hautes-Pyrénées, and a nursing home in Cher.
Should we worry about resurrection? No official statistics confirm such a trend. As this disease is not subject to reporting obligations, Santé Publique France does not perform specific monitoring.
The last communication from a public body on this topic is from 2011. In a report covering several regional surveys, Public Health France noted an increase in the incidence of scabies during the period 2008–2010, estimated at 350 cases per 100,000. Each resident year
“Scabies occurs in ‘mini-epidemics’ in communities: retirement homes, hospital services, schools, nurseries…episodes of scabies are regularly reported,” the health insurance website suggests.
“As before, cases of scabies are considered benign parasitic dermatitis,” explains Professor Olivier Chosido, a dermatologist at the Pt-Salpêtrière Hospital, to BFMTV.
“There is no strong data to confirm that itching is increasing,” suggests the doctor, who nevertheless highlights the existence of “converging data” that suggests an increase in cases as an increase in drug prescriptions.
His concern is reinforced by the situation across the Channel. In a Guardian article published last January, British dermatologists raised the alarm about a “nightmare” rise in scabies cases.
A disease sometimes considered “embarrassing” by patients, scabies can also be underdiagnosed. However, the health insurance is very clear: “Khujali can affect all types of people, regardless of their age, hygiene and social environment”.
The disease is spread through regular and prolonged physical contact, which explains its spread within families and communities. The lesions appear mostly on the hands, between the fingers, around the wrists and in the creases of the elbows.
Itching is caused by furrows that the mite – Sarcoptus – digs under the skin. A dermatoscope, a type of skin microscope, allows for diagnosis. Scabies is then treated with an antiparasitic, such as ivermectin.
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