A school in Devon has closed following an outbreak of a Victorian-era disease.
Cases of scabies have been reported in at least five schools in the county.
Parents of pupils at South Devon College were informed that at least seven children had contracted the virus.
The school said in an email: ‘We have been notified of seven confirmed cases of scabies amongst our student community. These cases have been diagnosed by a health professional.’
The contagious disease is identifiable by red inflamed crusty skin, causd by mites which burrow into the surface, however it is often misdiagnosed or not spotted until is developed, allowing carriers to spread it unknowingly.
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It can also be caught asymptomatically, further increasing the risk of spreading.
What is Scabies?
Scabies is an itchy rash caused by mites which burrow into the skin.
The Victorian-associated disease is spread through close skin contact.
Symptoms include intense itching and red looking spots all other the body except the head and neck (although older people may get a rash in those spots as well).
The tiny red spots are caused as mites lay eggs within the skin, which then spread around legs, arms and other body parts.
It is not considered a harmful condition, but it does require treatment, usually in the form of cream or lotion.
Patients with other skin conditions such as eczema, or who have symptoms for more than two to four weeks despite treatment, should seek the help of a GP.
Source: NHS
While considered a mild condition, scabies does not usually clear of its own accord and requires treatment.
Dr Firas Al-Niaimi, a London-based consultant dermatologist, said there was a risk patients would not go to the GP, mistaking the disease for eczema.
He told the Sun: ‘Scabies is very contagious and spreads very quickly, so it needs to be caught early to limit infections.’
While as many as three schools in the Torbay area were reported to have had cases, the town’s council confirmed that none had closed due to the outbreak.
Torbay council said in a statement: ‘We are aware of a small number of scabies cases in the area, but scabies is not a condition that needs to be reported to health authorities.
‘No schools in Torbay have closed because of this. Individual schools are communicating directly with parents and carers, and we ask families to speak to their child’s school with any concerns.’
Amanda Rushton, from Accrington in Lancashire, learnt she had scabies and it took over nine months to get of the mites that cause it.
The mum-of-two had initially assumed she had an allergy after noticing small bumps on her arms and side.
Within days the itching got so bad it felt like her ‘flesh was crawling’, but she put off going to the doctor assuming it would go away.
It turned out she had caught the highly infectious infestation of microscopic mites from her mum who had been in hospital, reports the Daily Mail.
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