The best ways to avoid and control the spread of a Victorian disease sweeping the UK at the moment have been revealed.
As Britain gets darker and colder in the lead-up to Christmas, people may notice cuts and bumps on their skin all of a sudden.
While some might think it's due to the drop in temperature, it could be down to scabies, a condition which was once widespread throughout Victorian England.
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Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, told the BBC that the number of GP diagnoses was 'above the five-year average and rising, with the north of England seeing a spike in cases'.
Notably, scabies is not the same thing as eczema, but it can make it worse.
The key difference is that scabies is infectious, whereas eczema is not.
What is scabies?
Scabies is an itchy rash caused by mites and is mainly spread through close skin contact.
The NHS recommends that scabies 'should be treated quickly to stop it spreading', even though it 'is not usually a serious condition'.
“While not a serious condition, scabies can be very itchy and irritating,” Professor Hawthorne added.
“If not properly treated, it can spread and increase a patient’s risk of complications, such as secondary skin infections or make existing skin conditions worse.
“We recognise that patients may be apprehensive to seek treatment given the social stigma that surrounds the condition, but it is important that they don’t ignore their symptoms as this could lead to them getting worse and risks transmitting the condition to other people.”
Dr Ross Perry, GP and medical director at Cosmedics Skin Clinics, describes scabies as 'an incredibly uncomfortable itchy and bumpy rash' and that the symptoms are caused by 'the saliva, eggs and faeces of the parasite mite sarcoptes'.
“Scabies rash can actually take up to eight weeks to appear on the body, during which time it can be spreading at an alarming rate, particularly on bedding, towels and clothes,” he said.
Best way to avoid the spread of scabies
According to America's science-based health help service CDC, there are a number of things you need to do to control the spread of scabies:
- Be sure to treat all household members who are infected with the disease at the same time to avoid it spreading.
- Wash all clothing and bedding used during the three days before treatment started. Clothing should be machine-washed using hot water, dried on the hot cycle, or dry-cleaned.
- Temperatures in excess of 50°C for 10 minutes will kill mites and eggs.
- If you can't wash or dry clean an item, store it in a closed plastic bag for several days to a week to disinfect it.
Anish Vij