How To Avoid Scabies

Avoiding scabies, a highly contagious skin infestation caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite, involves preventing direct contact with infected people or items. Here’s a detailed guide to help you stay scabies-free:

✅ How to Avoid Scabies

🧍‍♂️1. Avoid Direct Skin-to-Skin Contact

Scabies spreads mostly through prolonged skin-to-skin contact, not casual handshakes.
Avoid close contact with:
- People who have an itchy rash
- Those diagnosed with scabies
- Individuals in crowded living conditions (nursing homes, shelters, dorms) during outbreaks

🛏 2. Don’t Share Personal Items

Avoid sharing:

Clothing
Towels
Bedding
Brushes or combs

The mites can survive for 24–36 hours off the body on fabrics.

🧼 3. Practice Good Hygiene

Shower regularly.
Wash clothes and bed linens often, especially if you’ve been in public or shared spaces.

🧺 4. Launder Contaminated Items Properly

If exposed:

Wash clothing, bedding, and towels in hot water (at least 122°F / 50°C).
Dry on high heat for at least 20 minutes.
Seal non-washable items in plastic bags for 3–7 days to starve the mites.

🩺 5. Treat All Close Contacts if Infected

If someone in your household has scabies, everyone in the home should be treated, even if they don’t show symptoms.
Scabies can take 2–6 weeks to show symptoms after exposure.

🛡 6. Use Preventive Medications in High-Risk Settings

In outbreak settings (e.g., care homes), doctors may recommend prophylactic treatment (e.g., permethrin cream or oral ivermectin).

🐶 7. Keep Pets Safe

Human scabies is different from mange in pets.
However, if your pet has mange, see a vet to prevent cross-infestation or irritation.

🔄 8. Be Vigilant After Travel or Hospital Visits

Hotels, hospitals, or shared living spaces can be sources.
Inspect mattresses and linens and avoid lying directly on unfamiliar bedding.

📌 Common Symptoms to Watch For:

Intense itching (worse at night)
Red bumps or rashes, often between fingers, on wrists, elbows, or waistline
Tiny burrow marks (thin, grayish-white lines)