GPs report rise in scabies as public warned not to ignore potential symptoms

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “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.” Prof Hawthorne added: “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.” According to NHS figures, there were also 3,689 scabies cases diagnosed in hospitals in England in the year to April, marking a 73 per cent rise on the previous year, when there were 2,128 cases recorded. Scabies cases are above the five-year average in England, GPs warned A British Association of Dermatologists survey found that eight of its nine regional representatives reported an increase in scabies last year. “The public health calculation is not particularly complex – scabies spreads easily and if people aren’t treated, then it will continue to spread. Given the challenges in social care and the treatment shortages, public health bodies need to plan for outbreaks in care facilities.” In its report this week, the BBC spoke to students at five universities who described multiple cases arising “out of nowhere” and entire houses of students becoming infected.