This form of the disease causes a scaly rash and thickened crusts of skin.
A ward at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen has been temporarily closed (Image: Media Wales)
A hospital ward has been closed following an outbreak of a rare form of scabies, a Victorian disease the cases of which are on the rise in the UK. Steffan Ward at Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen, in Wales, has been closed to manage the outbreak “in line with established infection prevention and control procedures,” Hywel Dda health board said.
The health board said patients and staff identified as contacts have been offered treatment, including those without symptoms. It also said extra infection prevention and control measures had been put in place on the ward, including “enhanced monitoring, treatment of identified contacts and ongoing support from specialist teams,” BBC Wales reported.
The health board said a rise in scabies had been detected in the area it oversees , which includes Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.
It added: “The situation will be kept under review, and the ward will reopen in line with infection prevention and control guidance when it is safe to do so.”
As the NHS explains on its website, “scabies is an itchy rash caused by mites. It’s spread through close skin contact, and anyone can get it. It should be treated quickly to stop it spreading”.
The symptoms of scabies are intense itching, especially at night, a raised rash or spots that may look red. The website also added “scabies rash usually spreads across the whole body, apart from the head and neck. It often affects skin between the fingers, around the wrists, under the arms, and around the waist, groin and bottom”.
Scabies spreads through close skin contact, including sexual contact (Image: GOOGLE STREET VIEW)
“People with a weakened immune system can sometimes get a rare and very contagious type of scabies called crusted scabies. The main symptom is a crusted, flaky rash that often affects the elbows, knees, hands and feet,” it also explained.
The NHS also added scabies spreads through close skin contact, including sexual contact. You cannot get scabies from pets. People who live or work closely together in nurseries, university halls of residence or nursing homes are more at risk.
Adults and children aged five or over can go back to work or school as soon as they have started treatment. It’s important to avoid close contact with other people for the first 24 hours.