What is Scabies?

I've been hearing a lot about scabies lately but didn't know much about this skin problem. With a little bit of researching, here's what I found out:

Scabies is a skin infestation caused by Sarcoptes scabei, a type of microscopic mite.

These mites can live for 48-72 hours in general, but can live up to a 30 days if living on a person.

Scabies infestation is most common in crowded conditions, such as in hospitals, child-care facilities, nursing homes and other medical institutions. It is spread by frequent and prolonged skin to skin contact with an infected person.

Transfer of the disease can occur during by sharing towels, clothing, and bedding. It can also be spread by sexual activity.

The signs of scabies are these:

pimple like irritations or rashes on the skin, especially in the folds of the skin. Rashes are common between the fingers, in the elbows, behind the knees, and on the penis, under the breasts, and between the shoulder blades.

Scabies is usually accompanied by intense itching over the whole body which is worse at night.

Scratching scabies can lead to sores on the body, which can be dangerous for those with weakened immune systems. Skin sores like these are prone to infection and extra care must be taken to treat these sores before they become worse.

It normally takes 4-6 weeks for the signs of scabies to show up. Unfortunately, there is no immunity to scabies, so people can become infected again and again.