What are the symptoms of scabies? What does scabies cause?
The main symptoms of scabies are intense itching, particularly at night, and the appearance of small, raised, red bumps, blisters, or rashes. The mites do not “bite.” The itching and rash are a person’s reaction to the mites, eggs, and fecal deposit (waste) in the burrow. The areas of the skin most affected by scabies include the webs and sides of the fingers, around the wrists, waist, elbows, armpits, thighs, genitals, stomach, nipples, breasts, and lower buttocks. In young children, scabies may be found on any part of the body, including face and scalp. For those who have not had scabies before, the signs and symptoms may take a month or more to begin, but may begin immediately in someone previously exposed to scabies. Children commonly have secondary bacterial skin infections.
