Scabies mite

Scabies are an infectious skin disease that is caused by an insect such as an itch scab (zuden, or Sarcoptes scabiei).

The tick passes from one person to another with direct contact, or through personal items.

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Structure of an itch mite

The structure of scabies mites has long been examined using a conventional microscope. At present, information about the insect is supplemented with data obtained by microscopic examination of an electronic scanner.

What does the itch mite look like? The body of this arthropod has four pairs of limbs: two anterior and two median-posterior. The front pairs have a plurality of joints, and the outermost pair is provided with a tubular proboscis with a suction element. At the tip of this joint there are three short claws with which the mite performs peculiar mink and itch moves in obstructions in its path. In the middle between the forelimbs is a mouth opening.

Female scabies mite differs from the male presence of an oblong flagellate seta on the hind legs. Taurus parasite externally resembles beans, as it has an oval-oblong form. On the back is a large number of needles on either side of the transverse slit. In females such a gap exists on the tummy: by means of it, eggs are deposited.

Eggs of the itch mite oblong, small - their length is about 0.2 mm.

The scabies of the scabies mite are white, rounded, equipped with three pairs of limbs. To see the eggs and larvae of the parasite with the naked eye is unlikely to turn out - they are too small.

The newly born young arthropods are also white and round, with four pairs of limbs. Their size is slightly different from adults in the smaller side.

Types of scabies mites

The tick that causes scabies is by far not the only representative of this type of parasite. There are also species and subspecies of arthropods that can provoke the development of other, no less well-known diseases.

• Sarcoptes scabiei (itchiness itch) is a parasite that infects humans, dogs and sometimes cats.
• Notoedres cati parasitizes under the epidermis of dogs, cats and rabbits, but can also pass to humans. The disease - notedroz.
• Mites Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis are the causative agents of human demodecosis.
• Otodectes cynotis is able to parasitize only in the ear canal. If it gets on the skin, it dies. Causes disease otodekoz, or auricle.

Ticks can not be recognized without examination using a microscope. Only tests can confirm the type of parasite and the type of disease that it caused.

Life cycle of scabies mites

Immediately after attaching the mite to the skin, he begins to make a hole in the stratum corneum of the epidermis: for an hour the parasite literally "drills" the skin with claws. The strokes of the scabies begin with a vertical shaft-like opening, continuing further parallel to the skin surface.

The tick moves along the course of about 0.1-5 mm / day, which depends primarily on the speed and activity of the forelimbs.

In total, the parasite can live for about 2 months.

Within a couple of hours after doing the first move, the female begins laying eggs: it is able to put up to 3 eggs a day. 3-4 days after laying, larvae appear on the light, which leave the course and rise to the layer of the epidermis. After a couple of days, the larvae transform into a nymph by molting, and only then the nymph becomes an adult insect. It follows that the general cycle of parasite development - from oviposition to the appearance of a full tick - takes about two weeks. It should be borne in mind, however, that not all eggs are guaranteed to turn into ticks with time: only about 10% of the laid eggs survive to this period.

The number of arthropods that can be detected in one patient can not be unlimited. As a rule, parasites do not occupy the entire skin surface, but are localized in certain places: on the hands, in the folds between the fingers.

How does infection with the itch mite occur?

In the overwhelming majority of cases, a person becomes infected directly by contacting another person afflicted with an itch mite (provided a favorable external environment). The main factors contributing to infection are:

• sexual contact with sick scabies;
• non-observance of personal space, lack of personal items (common towels, general bedding and clothing, etc.).

What do I need to know about the characteristics of the infection? The tick can shortly retain the ability to live outside the human skin. Parasites, as well as their larvae, can remain viable for no more than 2 days at a temperature of + 22 ° C and a relative humidity of 35%. At higher temperatures, the mite will die faster (for example, at + 55 ° C, the insect will die after 10 minutes), and at a lower temperature it loses its ability to move.

From the above, it can be concluded that it is often enough to wash clothes and linens at t ° above + 55 ° C, in order to reduce the risk of infection with scabies.

It should be noted that in recent years, the incidence of scabies is approximately equal to the level of venereal diseases, so the risk of infection remains very high.

Symptoms of scabies

Symptoms of the disease that causes the itch mite are divided into typical and probable (which may be present, but are not mandatory). This happens for the reason that each person has a different degree of immune defense. In a patient with weak immunity scabies can be manifested vigorously, with a rich clinical picture. If the immunity is strong, and the scabies mite has not reached a certain degree of maturity, then the symptomatology may be scanty.

The incubation period for lesions of the scabies mite can vary from 2 weeks to 1.5 months at the first infection, and from four days with repeated infection. The person does not feel the bite of the mange mite: clinically, the disease is manifested only by the consequences of the vital activity of the parasite.

The most typical symptoms are:

• itching of the skin, which is greatly enhanced during night sleep (night - the period of activity of ticks);
• light gray strips of about 6 mm on the skin, with papular or vesicular elements at the tip;
• zones of scratching;
• blood-purulent crusts.

Rashes in scabies are small (up to 2 mm), sometimes doubled. The rash is more often found on the front surface of the body, at the folding of the hands, on the inner surface of the thighs.

At an atypical course the amount of rashes is minimal, the itch is not very pronounced. Can affect the area of the hair and nail plates.

Diagnostics

First of all, the patient seeks medical help in connection with a skin itch, which can disturb not only his one, but also his family members. Upon examination, the doctor pays attention to the presence of itch moves, vesicles, ulcers (papules).

There are several specific ways to diagnose the disease.

• To identify the tick use mineral oil. A drop of oil is applied to the exit area from the itch path, after which the material, together with the tick, is examined with a microscope.
• Scraping on scabies mites can be taken from papular and vesicular elements on the surface of the skin. In this case, larvae are found in the material.
• Sometimes get a scraping from under the nail plates of the patient.
• In rare cases, the diagnosis is carried out by trial treatment with anti-scab agents.

Laboratory analyzes of general orientation will be of little informative, only a blood test can determine the increase in the level of eosinophils (a sign of sensitization) and signs of an inflammatory process (if there is an infection).

Differential diagnosis is performed with microbial eczema, or a true eczema complicated by a secondary infection.

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Treatment of scabies

For the treatment of scabies, you can use various means, both traditional medicamentous and folk.

Therapeutic measures should be applied both to the patient and to the persons with whom he has been in contact lately. Usually, antiparasitic agents and antiseptics are prescribed to eliminate the disease (if necessary, antihistamine treatment is added).

1. Spregal is an aerosol preparation based on piperonyl butoxide and esdepalletrin. It has an effect almost after the first application. It can be used at any age, even in newborn babies.
2. Permethrin is an antiparasitic agent that kills mites and lice. Permethrin is applied overnight for 2 days.
3. Ivermectin is a common antiparasitic drug that is used in both medicine and veterinary medicine. Ointment is used in an amount of not more than 200 mg per kilogram of weight once a week. If the dosage is overestimated, intoxication is possible.
4. Sulfur ointment is a known antiseptic. Used in the form of 20% ointment in adult patients and in the form of 10% - in pediatrics. The drug is applied at bedtime for 5 days.

Before choosing a remedy for scabies, it is necessary to evaluate some characteristics of the drug. For the selected drug to bring the expected effect, it must meet the following parameters:

• to destroy not only ticks, but also their eggs;
• Do not irritate the skin and do not cause allergies;
• when ingested, do not exert a toxic effect and be removed from the bloodstream without problems;
• be comfortable to use, do not stain skin and clothing, do not have an unpleasant odor.

How to get rid of itch mite? Many people use alternative means for this. Nevertheless, it is necessary to be very cautious about this treatment, since many herbal remedies only relieve the symptoms of scabies without directly affecting the parasite and its larvae. Here are a few popular alternative recipes:

• Milk mixture: sour cream or sour milk powder in a proportion of 3: 1, put in a warm place for three hours, from time to time stirring. Mass distribute to the affected areas of clean skin. The effect should appear after 4 procedures.
• Therapeutic ointment from scabies mites: 1 tbsp. L. Melted lard, 1 tbsp. L. Grated household soap, 1 tsp. Tar, 2 tsp. Sulfur mix and apply to infected areas throughout the week.
• The medicine from the laundry soap: grate the laundry soap on the grater, add a little water and place it on a small fire until uniform. Then add the grated onion and garlic head. After cooling from the mass you need to mold a new soap and wash it for the night.
• Lavender oil: rub the body overnight.

Some users suggest using all known dichlorvos from an itch mite. The drug is sprayed onto the surface of the skin, avoiding the head area, before going to bed. At the same time, they promise complete disposal of the disease for one application. This method can be quite dangerous, since dichlorvos is not intended for such purposes and can cause serious poisoning.

Does the quartz lamp help against scabies? Unfortunately, the use of quartz in no way affects the life of the tick, and even more so, on their larvae. Therefore, the use of this method is not advisable. A quartz lamp may only be used to process the room where the patient is.

Prevention

The main preventive measure is the detection of foci of scabies, the fight against their spread and the compulsory treatment of contact persons.

After contact with a patient with scabies it is necessary to visit a doctor and perform the necessary examination.

If a patient appears in the family, then it should be temporarily protected from other people. His personal belongings, clothing, bedding, hygiene items must be thoroughly disinfected. Things that can not be exposed to high temperatures (for example, boil or iron) can be treated with antipollution aerosol "A-steam."

The question arises: how can furniture be treated with scabies? Elements of furniture can be wiped with 2-3% solution of soda or other disinfectant, paying special attention to pens, armrests and other details, which are most often touched by patients.

In the room it is recommended to wipe the floors every day with a damp cloth using disinfectants.

Do not self-medicate the patient - for this purpose there are specially trained medical specialists.

Forecast

With proper treatment, scabies pass without a trace.

With prolonged illness and lack of treatment, a person may develop psychological disorders due to constant itching.

Combs that appear on the skin can be complicated by dermatological problems, for example, dermatitis, pyoderma, eczema. In addition, sometimes secondary sexual infections develop.

The longer the disease progresses, and the more complications occur, the more difficult it is to conduct a correct diagnosis of pathology. For this reason, specialists strongly recommend that doctors be consulted at the first sign of the disease, without waiting for the worsening of the condition.

Scabies mites are not as rare as they seem. Therefore, it is necessary to take all measures for the prevention of scabies, especially when dealing with strangers and when visiting public places.