Is Scabies Contagious?

Scabies is contagious in the sense it is spread from one person to another. However just touching someone infected with scabies, or shaking their hand isn't usually sufficient to cause mites to move from one person to another. The major cause of transmitting scabies from one person to another is through intimate or sexual contact, and even at that, it may be a period of time before one person actually picks up scabies from another. One of the more difficult aspects of scabies can be sharing the fact that you are experiencing scabies symptoms with someone near and dear. As embarrassing as it may be, it's important to do so, even if you are undergoing treatment which can at times drag on for awhile. Even in schools and office areas, it is uncommon for an outbreak of scabies to occur, as there usually is not enough contact between people to make such an outbreak possible. Nursing homes are one area where outbreaks sometime occur, especially if a patient with scabies has not been diagnosed. Caregivers, who are in constant contact with patients can become susceptible to a scabies infestation.

While we can at times suffer from flea bites of we have a dog or cat that is infected with fleas, we don't have to worry about contracting scabies from our pets. Dogs can have scabies, or similar mites, but these are dog-loving mites, not human-loving mites. If you should pick up one or more of these mites, they could conceivably cause a minor problem for a short period of time, but just won't be able to survive for very long with you as their host. In this case you should be concerned, but for your pet, and not for your own well-being.

The worst case scenario as far as scabies symptoms are concerned is a form of the mite-caused disease known as Norwegian Crusted Scabies. In this form of the disease, portions of the body may become crusted and scaly do to the presence of a significant number of mites, and perhaps thousands of eggs. Crusted scabies can be very difficult to treat, because the thickness of the skin in the affected areas may not allow medications to penetrate deeply enough to attack the mites and the eggs.

Medications That Can Help - There are several medications which are generally effective against scabies symptoms. One, permethrin, is a cream which is applied and left on the skin for several hours or overnight, and then washed off. Permethrin is approved for anyone over 2 months old. Ivermectin, taken orally, is another effective scabicide. Horse lovers know ivermectin as a potent medication used to keep various worms and parasites at bay. If you want to use ivermectin for treatment, consult with a doctor or druggist for the proper dosage. Don't purchase a tube that is intended for horses! Although not a cure, antihistamines will often provide at least temporary relief to whatever itching you may be encountering. This is good to know, as a stop gap of sorts until you begin treatment to eradicate the problem.

As difficult as scabies symptoms can sometimes be to eliminate, one thing that works to our advantage is that the scabies mites can not live long, usually no more than 24 hours away from the body. You don't have to burn your bedding, or your clothing, to get rid of the pest. Washing the items, and setting them aside in a plastic bag for a few days will do the trick. You don't even have to wash them but will no doubt feel better doing so.

In summary, if you lead a normal healthy lifestyle, and go about your normal business, you are not likely to have an encounter with scabies. Your best chances of coming down with the disease is through sexual contact with someone who already has it. You won't acquire scabies symptoms from shaking someone’s hand, or petting your own or a friend's dog. You can even borrow someone's coat to wear, especially if it's been hanging in the closet for a day or more. Borrowing someone's t-shirt right off their back might yield a different result however. If you do come down with an itch or rash that either comes and goes, or just goes away, it's not scabies. If it sticks around, and progressively becomes more severe, by all means see a doctor or dermatologist.