Self-Care Guidelines
Though scabies is extremely contagious, it usually requires prolonged skin-to-skin contact with a person already infested. A quick handshake or hug will not normally spread the infection. However, scabies is easily spread to sexual partners and to other members of a household. Less commonly, it may be spread by sharing towels, clothing, or bedding.
Scabies requires prescription medication in order to stop the infestation. Once you are under a doctor's care, there are steps you can take to prevent scabies from coming back:
- Mites cannot survive off the human body for more than 48–72 hours. Therefore, wash all clothing, bedding, and towels used by the infested person in approximately the previous 72 hours in hot water and dry these items in a hot dryer.
- Vacuum all carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture, and discard the vacuum bags.
- Anything that cannot be laundered should be sealed in plastic bags for 5 days.
When to Seek Medical Care
See your doctor for evaluation if you develop an extremely itchy rash that mostly affects the skin folds, the finger webs, and/or the breasts (if a woman) or genitalia (if a man). Because it may take weeks for the rash to develop, if one person in a household has scabies, the whole family should be treated, and all towels and bed linens should be run through a hot dryer to kill the mites and eggs. If other close contacts have similar itchy rashes, make sure they are also evaluated by a physician.
Signs and Symptoms
