How Do You Get Scabies

Summary: Lots of people confuse scabies with public lice, but scabies is actually an infestation of the itch mite.  So, the question of how do you get scabies if you have not had sexual contact is answered in this article.

How do you get scabies? Inexplicably, you find yourself with a severe itch and your doctor gives you the news that you have scabies which are tiny eight-legged parasites that burrow into your skin and cause you to itch like there is no tomorrow. The itching is usually more intense at night. So, you are laying there itching and scratching, wondering how this happened to you.

The confusion comes due to the fact that scabies is often contracted after close, personal contact. Skin touching skin. “Wait a minute!”,  you say to

yourself. “The only close personal contact I have had with a living, breathing thing has been my dog.” So, casting a suspicious eye on poor old Fido, you banish him to the garage. Only after doing some research do you discover that itch mite on dogs is called mange and these mites do not survive on humans. You can be bitten by the mites that cause mange, but the severity of the bite is nothing compared to scabies.

So, the question persists. How do you get scabies? The answer is that scabies mites can be transferred from person to person via sexual contact, for sure. You cannot get scabies from an infected person just by shaking their hand, but prolonged handholding can transmit scabies. Hands are commonly infected.

Hugging one another is another possibility. There is lots of hugging at home and mothers often pas s or pick up scabies from their children. Very small children who attend day care often pick up scabies when they share the day beds or mats used for naps.

Scabies on skin

A key factor to passing scabies is the length of time people are in close contact. That is why scabies are often associated with sexual contact. Lots of time for skin touching skin. It is also possible to pass the scabies mite to others if you share clothing or towels, but because scabiesfairly quickly when not in contact with skin, you would have to use a towel or put on shared clothing shortly after the infected person used the towel or article of clothing.

Sleeping in the same bed can be a source for spreading scabies.  Sleepovers with all the kids piled together are, unfortunately, sometimes a way to spread scabies.

Scabies in nursing homes is a problem for some unknown reason. The reaction that elderly people have is frequently more severe than typical scabies infestations, yet different in that the rash usually affects the scalp and face, but not other areas more commonly associated with a scabies outbreak.

Everyone always asks if scabies can be contracted from toilet seats. It is possible, but not likely. A scabies infected person would have to sit on the toilet seat and the scabies would have to transfer to the seat. This is highly unlikely. However, when using a public toilet you might want to consider covering the seat with toilet tissue to avoid direct contact. Better safe than sorry.