Scabies is a condition of very itchy skin caused by tiny mites that burrow into your skin.

The itching is caused by an allergic reaction to the mites.

Scabies spreads very easily from person to person.

It can affect people of all ages and from all incomes, social levels, and living situations.

With treatment, the scabies mites die and the itching goes away over a period of days to weeks.

Without treatment, the mites continue to reproduce under your skin, causing more sores and itching.

Scabies mites spread from person to person by close contact, like sleeping in the same bed or touching someone’s skin.

The mites can also be spread by sharing towels, clothing, and other personal items.

Scabies often affects several household members at the same time.

You can spread it to another person before you have symptoms.

Scabies has 2 main symptoms:

1.  Severe itching, usually worse at night.  Small children and older adults tend to have the worst itching.

2.  A rash with tiny blisters or sores.  Children tend to have worse skin reactions than adults.

Symptoms are more likely to occur:

>Between your fingers and on the palm side of your wrists.

>On the outside surfaces of your elbows and in your armpits.

>Around your waistline and navel.

>On your buttocks.

>Around your nipples, your bra line, and the sides of your breasts (in women).

>On your genitals (in men).

In babies and small children, itching and skin irritation may also occur on the scalp, neck, and face and on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

If you have many scaly, crusted sores, you may have a rare form of scabies called crusted scabies or Norwegian scabies.

If this is the first time you’ve had scabies, it may be several weeks before you have itching and skin sores.

But if you’ve had it before, symptoms will probably start in a few days.

Scabies is especially likely if you’ve had close contact with other people who’ve had the same symptoms.

Sometimes you may have a test to confirm you have scabies.

Scabies won’t go away on its own.