Scabies also known as “craw craw” in the local Nigerian parlance is one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) that is plaguing Africa and Nigerian society as well.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), human Scabies are caused by Sarcoptes Scabiei var hominis, an itchy and highly contagious skin disease. It appears to be one of the oldest NTDs that affects anyone of any age and race.
The WHO also estimated that at least 200 million people worldwide suffer from scabies at any one time and more than 400 million people cumulatively every year.
This contagious disease is commonly popular among young people. But then, it affects anyone of any age and race. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) notes that the microscopic scabies life burrows into the upper layer of the skin where it lives and lays eggs and spreads rapidly under crowded conditions where close body contact is frequent.
Scabies usually occur worldwide according to experts who also noted that it is usually dominant in hot, resource-poor areas, tropical countries, and areas of high population density.
This disease can be transmitted through close contact with an infected person like hugging, shaking hands, sharing clothes, as well as through sexual contact. It can be gotten from work, school, church, etc.
One of the most common symptoms of scabies is itchiness, which appears to be worse at night. It might lead to an injury that can expose the body to other infections. The itchiness can be very painful sometimes.
Other symptoms include small red bumps or blisters on the skin which can extensively spread all over the body to areas such as the elbows, knees, palms, scalps, and soles of the feet which are most commonly the original site of involvement. Very severe symptoms include thickened/discoloured fingernails.
Following the WHO 2023 global targets for scabies to incorporate scabies management in the universal health coverage package care, the body strongly urged that people should take preventive measures seriously.
These preventive measures may include; avoid skin to skin contact with infected persons, constantly keeping your surroundings tidy and healthy, ensuring members of the household are treated, wash all clothes and bed covers using hot water which will be dried in sunlight afterward.
Scabies disease is curable. Hence, treatments for infected persons should ensure that the mites and their eggs are killed by taking hot baths regularly and using anti-parasitic medications. Antiseptics like permethrin cream and malathion lotion have been proven to be effective in eradicating these mites and their eggs.
Experts also advise patients with scabies to seek the medical attention of a physician (dermatologist/ pediatrician) where they can be immediately given treatment and isolated to prevent the spread to others.
