Scabies is transmitted readily, often throughout an entire household, by skin-to-skin contact with an infected person (for example, bed partners, schoolmates, daycare).
Scabies was one of the earliest human diseases with a known cause (Arlian 1989).
The word scabies comes from the Latin word for "scratch" (scabere).
Scabies is frequently misdiagnosed as intense pruritus (itching of healthy skin) before papular eruptions form.
Scabies is most prevalent among people in overcrowded conditions and conditions of poor hygiene (Carson-DeWitt 2002).
Scabies are microscopic, although sometimes they are visible as a pinpoint of white.
People with compromised a immune system may develop crusted Norwegian scabies.
The surface is then wiped off with an alcohol pad; if the person is infected with scabies, the characteristic zigzag or S pattern of the burrow across the skin will appear.
Persons who sleep in the same room with a person with scabies has a high possibility of having scabies as well, although they may not show symptoms.