Developed by

Scabies

Scabies (Latin name)

By Bjarne Lühr Hansen PhD, MD and Philipp Skafte-Holm MD, Mentor Institute

Scabies is due to a mite that digs in under the skin. The disease is shown by a strong itchy rash, especiallybetween the fingersandaround the wrists. Since scabies infects, it often seen several cases in the family. The entire family must be treated, and the cure must be repeated after 1 week. Although all the mites have diedaftertreatment, it may well itch for up to 3 weeks after completion of treatment.

Af en eller anden grund er fnat igen blevet hyppig i Danmark, men man ved ikke hvorfor.For some reason, scabies has again become frequent, but you do not know why.Fnatkanses i alle aldremen er hyppigst hos børn og ældre.Scabiescanbe seen at all agesbut are most common in children and the elderly. 

ScabiesFnat fremkaldes af en mide, der lever i huden. is induced by a mite that is in the skin.Den gravide hunmide er lige under ½ mm lang og kan derfor knapt ses med det blotte øje.The pregnant female mite is just under ½ mm long and can hardly be seen by the naked eye.Dengraver sigItdigsned under huden.in beneath the skin.Her borer den en tunnel– det kaldes enfnatgang-hvor den efterlader afføring og lægger sine æg.Here it drills a tunnelwhere it leaves stools and puts its eggs. The eggs are hatched within a few days and develop - over the next 3 to 4 weeks - to adult mites.De voksne mider kan leve på huden i 4-5 uger og i den tid bliver mange hunmider befrugtet.The adult mites can live on the skin for 4-5 weeks and during this time many female mites are fertilized.Og sådan fortsætter det, indtil der startes behandling.And so, it continues until treatment is started. 

Fnatmiden overføres som regel ved tætkropskontakt.The scabies mite is usually transmitted by closebodycontact.Da fnatmiden kan overleve op til et døgn på tøj, møbler og gulve, kan fnat også overføres fra omgivelserne.Since the mite can survive for up to a day on clothes, furniture and floors, scabies can also be transferred from the surroundings.

Totilfire++uger efter at du har fået fnatmide på dig, begynder det at klø.Twotofour weeks after you have got a mite on you, it starts to itch.Kløen, der er værst om natten, bliver værre og værre for hver dag.The itch is worst at night, getting worse and worse for each day.Fnatmidenlevertypiskmellem fingrene, ved håndleddene og på kønsdelene.The mitetypicallylivesbetween the fingers, the wrists and the genitals.Der hvor fnatmiden lever, er huden rød med små blærer.Where the mites live, the skin is red with small blisters.Da det klør, kan der opstå sår der, hvor du har kradset dig.As it is itching, wounds may occur where you have scratched yourself. 

Det kan væresværtat se om man har fnat.It can behardto see if you have scabies.Der hvor hunmiden har gravet sig ned i huden, kan man (med lup ogkraftigt lys) se fnatgange.Where the female has dug into the skin, one can see (with a magnifying glass andstrong light) mite passages.Det ser ud som om nogen har tegnet fine slyngede streger med en blyant på huden.It looks as if someone has drawn nice twisted lines with a pencil on the skin.Det er som regel ikke muligt at se selve fnatmiden, da den ligger helt nede i bunden af fnatgangen.It is usually not possible to see the actual mite as it lies at the bottom of the mite passage.

What can you do?

If you are sure that you have scabies, you can buy effective remedy over the counter at pharmacies. The Nix Cream is the most used remedy and can be bought over the counter. There are no known harmful side effects using Nix. First, take a bath and dry yourself thoroughly. Then smear the entire body (from the jaw and downwards) with a thin layer of lotion. The lotion is washed off with warm water and soap after 8-12 hours. It may be a good idea to start your treatment in the evening, so you sleep while the medicine works. The cure should be repeated after 5-8 days, to be sure that all the mites are killed. Even though the cream kills all the mites, itching can continue for 2-3 weeks. There is no indication that the treatment does not work. Such an itching is treated with hormone lotion, which also can also be bought over the counter.

Everyone in the family must be treated at the same time. Even if it does not itch on a family member, there may be mites and thus the risk of being infected again. 

Remember, everyone in the family should be treated to times with a one-week interval. 

Wash clothes and bed linen at temperatures above 50oC for ten minutes as well as thorough cleaning of floors and furnitureis required.

Think about who you have visited or visited the last 3 weeks and report that they may have been infected. Also give notice to the school, kindergarten or day care centre.

 

Contact the doctor tomorrow

If you suspect scabies but is not completely sure. The doctor can lead a needle down to the bottom of the mite passage. The mite will then cling to the needle and the doctor can then see the mite in his microscope. Then you know what the itch is due to.

Contact the doctor immediately

Never necessary.