HEALTH: Shameful disease for some, the itch has not disappeared from our country. This highly contagious disease is related to the presence of a parasite.
In recent years, the itch has come back in some departments. Staff of a clinic in Montauban, children from a nursery school, nursing home residents, many victims whio are suffering from scabies, a highly contagious disease that is on the increase in France.
Symptoms of scabies
An irresistible urge to scratch the evening and night? Lesions between fingers, on the wrists, on the navel, elbows? Several family members affected? You may be suffering from scabies.
In its classic form, it covers the back and face. For many, this disease remains shameful, delaying diagnosis. Yet it remains widespread and can affect all social classes.
Two types of mange
Scabies is a contagious skin disease caused by a parasite invisible to the naked eye, the family of mites: the Sarcoptes scabiei , variety hominis. This adverse penetrates the skin to reproduce.
There are two types of mange. When it is common, it is transmitted by body and prolonged contact between people living together (family members, sexual partners, children in a nursery or school, retirement home residents …).
In the other form of scabies, called profuse, parasites are present in many, many hundreds, and the infection spreads throughout the body. It mainly affects people with weakened immune systems.
How to treat?
Once the diagnosis made by a doctor, scabies healing well thanks to a specific treatment. It can be in the form of a lotion to be applied locally or by oral treatment.
Itching usually persist for two weeks after treatment. Indeed, pruritus due to an allergy to parasites is also evident when they died.
In addition to medical treatment, hygiene measures are needed: Wash bed linen at 60 degrees and drying at high temperatures.Tissues that can not be washed are treated with acaricide powder. They can also be placed in a sealed plastic bag to air for a week, because the parasite does not live more than four days away from skin contact.
Obviously, do not forget to interview and examine all persons in contact with the infected person and quickly treated, if necessary.
