The cause of scabies is the human parasite called Sarcoptes scabiei or commonly known as the itch mite.
Problems begin for the human host when a female itch mite finds its way onto and burrows its way into the skin making tiny tunnels.
The male of the species then travels between these tunnels in order to mate with any unfertilised females. Once the male parasite has achieved this his usefulness ends and he dies. Meanwhile, the fertilised female will begin to lay her eggs in the burrows she has created. Within three to four days the eggs hatch.
It takes a further ten to fifteen days for the young to mature into adults once they have reached the skins surface. At this point the newly matured females will begin to burrow into the skin whilst the males remain on the surface ready to begin the whole reproductive process again.
This continuous cycle will continue until intervention using appropriate treatment breaks it, washing and scrubbing the skin will not eliminate the parasites. The cause of scabies itch is most likely due to an allergic reaction to the parasites and their poo, eggs and saliva being present in the body.
What causes scabies to spread?
For this infestation to spread there has to be direct, skin to skin contact between two people for lengthy periods of time because mites cannot jump or fly they can only crawl.
So, your sexual partner being infected or you share bedding, clothing or towels with someone who is infected are both causes of scabies spreading. It should be noted however, that simply giving an infected person a quick hug or hand shake is unlikely to cause migration of mites from one to another.
Itch mites do need a human host both for warmth and nourishment however, it is possible for them to survive on discarded clothing, bedding etc. for anything up to thirty six hours so contact with contaminated items like those mentioned may also be a cause of scabies infesting others.
The biggest cause of scabies infestations spreading rapidly is usually down to the fact that it can take between two to three weeks after the initial infestation for symptoms to show themselves, during which time the host is highly infectious. This is particularly common in situations where a lot of people spend time in close proximity to each other for example in school. Care homes are also a good example.
Scabies mites have no preference in who they infest. Anyone can get scabies no matter how good or bad your personal and home hygiene is. Although it had to be said that some groups do run a higher risk of contracting scabies such as children in schools and day care, mothers who are caring for infested children, anyone living in a hostel or nursing homes and lastly anyone who is sexually active.
