Talk:Scabies/Archive 1

needs size info
does not mention size in article or picture in "mm" anywhere... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 18.202.1.175 (talk) 00:33, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

vandalism
there's a "grrfwegr" word in the article. I don't know how to use the history to track that edit and see if the vandal edited something else (perhaps something important!), so I'm leaving it as it is now but ask anyone to check if they know a way to do it (or have time to do it by hand..)--164.77.156.219 09:53, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

Now I don't if it is the same person but some vandal put something along the lines of "Nhhhhuhysjnhd" on the article called "Lung" but I deleted it —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.129.40.99 (talk) 16:41, 16 October 2008 (UTC)

You two are nerds. SHUT IT UP. ITS NOTHING. 206.63.192.21 (talk) 15:49, 2 October 2009 (UTC)

Headline text
Alcohol: Anyone tried to get rid of em with alcohol? I´ve been trying to paste alcohol all over my body and drinking some. I think it might have killed some. Maybe should still buy some stronger.

Identificaiton: Can someone talk about how to identify SCabies vs. other mites. ie: cheyletiella vs scabies vs grain mite

Lifespan of a Scabies Mite off've the host:

The article says that a Scabies mite can only live for a few hours off've the host, eg in clothing, bed linen etc. as it "dries out".. This is not the case, the normal ('Scabies) Mite can on average survive up to 3 days away from human skin. As in cases of Crusted Scabies, they can survice much longer, usually 7 days.' The reason these mites survive off've human skin is that they feed on the sloughed skin in the local environment such as bedsheets, clothing, and chair covers.


 * I have verified this and have altered the article to reflect this fact. TruPhan 18:11, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca Oil)
The commentary below about 'natural' cures labels the Tea tree oil as non-toxic. This is false. The reported acute toxicity (LD50) in rats is about 2 mg/kg (see ), which is in the same range as pure permethrin.. There are documented cases of human poisoning after ingestion (See Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca Oil) )

As with many natural complex compounds, allergy and hypersensitivity can occur upon simple skin contact, even if diluted. At least one case of systemic hypersensitivity has been reported. See

Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca Oil) compounds may pass through the skin barrier and cause adverse reactions in topical use, especially undiluted. There are many cases reported among cats or other animals, including deaths. See or

Other interesting links about safety of Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca Oil) :  

194.7.74.246 14:01, 11 August 2006 (UTC) O. Van Cantfort

is Tea Tree Oil really a homeopathic remedy, or should the word be something like 'traditional' or 'natural'? --Maebmij 15:06, 26 Jun 2005 (UTC)

It's really neither. That was a random piece of 'alternative medicine' FUD and should be removed. -- Martin Coxall


 * I've read some recent scientific studies that tea tree oil is effective.   --Thoric 06:50, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

In April 2006, I had a case of scabies and was prescribed Permethrin to kill the mites and a corticosteroid cream to stop the itching. After reading that Permethrin was classified as a carcinogen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and that corticosteroids weaken the immune system, I decided to do a series of five tea tree oil baths, spaced three days apart. I added 1/4oz of oil to 24 gallons of water. Coinciding with the 4th bath, I washed all of my bedding and laundry. When I had any itching, I would apply the tea tree oil full strength on that part of the body for relief. I noticed that my condition improved after each bath. By the second bath, I no longer felt any mite bites. By the third bath, I no longer had much notable itching. The fifth bath was done for good measure, but I was symptom-free by that point. Seven months after treatment, I remain symptom-free. I did not take any additional Tea Tree baths. I feel it is important to include tea tree oil as a possible treatment for scabies. 130.207.167.180 02:36, 04 November 2006 (UTC)

--- Is there some confused thinking going on here? "After reading that Permethrin was a pesticide . . ." Scabies is a pest (a tiny mite), so if you wnat to kill it you must use a pesticide: that is what "pesticide" means. Tea tree oil is another pesticide; if it weren't it would not get rid of the pests. This looks rather as though it may have been written by someone with the fixed associations "pesticide = evil chemical", "plant material = good and harmless". --- JamesBWatson

--- Ahem - permethrin is a pyrethroid, derived from pyrethrin, which IS a plant material (comes from daisies). Pyrethroids have low mammalian toxicity, which is why they have been the most popular pesticides for a while now.Jlygrnmigt 18:38, 17 February 2007 (UTC)

Tea tree oil is an effective remedy recognized by the medical community. check Lancet 2006; 367: 1767–74. -- calvinchong

There have been so many vandalisms and corresponding fixes to the page that I have no idea what the exact statement in the original article is being discussed here. Judging by the above comments, I'm guessing it's along the lines of "Melaleuca Oil is a non-toxic alternative to the above listed nasty chemicals..." Yes, I do agree that if it was along those lines it should be modified - but not deleted entirely. If it works, then it works and it deserves a mention. Calvin Chong above even has a reference, which puts it on firmer ground than some of the other listed remedies. I say add it to the list of seven other treatments without words like "non-toxic", which give it a FUD-factor. Someone with more knowledge in the field will have to find out which number to give it. Incedentally, does anyone know if topical application of pyrethrin works? 220.239.35.152 08:07, 20 January 2007 (UTC)

tea tree is good? right? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.170.99.159 (talk) 19:00, 2 March 2008 (UTC)

Scabies Facts and Myths-voyajer 12/1/05
1.	Fact: First of all, scabies is not a dangerous condition. It will not kill you. It will not endanger your life. It will not shorten your life. It is only a very big nuisance because the itching makes everyone so miserable. But considering that scabies is not life-threatening at all, should doctors be prescribing life-threatening pesticide lotions to be applied as treatment? Is this ethical? 2.	Myth: Elimite (also called Acticin or Permithrin) is perfectly safe. False. These are toxic pesticides warned by the Environmental Protection Agency as not safe in any amount or any form.

This is largely wrong. Permethrin is perfectly safe to the condition when used according to the instruction, ANY drug is not safe when you don't follow the instruction. Panadol can also kill, as is water.

3.	Myth: Scabies are microscopic. Technically, no they are not. You can see them with the unaided eye if they are on the surface. They appear as a pinpoint white dot. You can also see them pretty well with a magnifying glass. They have clear bodies, but depending on stage of development have three or four pairs of dark legs. 4.	Fact: Scabies males are nomadic and roam the skin surface looking for unfertilized females under the surface in order to enter their burrow to fertilize them. Males live less long than females. 5.	Myth: You can get rid of scabies by being very clean and bathing well daily. No, you can’t. The females are burrowed under the skin and cannot be washed off. Some males may be washed off, but they cling with two rear sucker legs. 6.	Myth: Scabies live in hair, nose, eyes and mouth. No. The pregnant female scabies mite will search for up to an hour for a place without hair follicles to burrow in. They travel at one inch (2.5 cm) per minute. That is why over 60% of scabies are found between the finger webbing and inside of wrist where there are few hair follicles. They don’t like skin that is too thick like on the bottom of the feet or palms of the hand. On adults and older children, scabies rarely affect the head and neck (except in crusted Norwegian-type scabies). On babies, the skin is soft everywhere, so the scabies like the entire body. Treating the hair and face is unnecessary except in crusted Norwegian-type scabies. The nose and eyes may itch during an allergic reaction to scabies because these are the body’s first signs of an allergy. Histamines are released that make the nose and eyes itch, but that doesn’t mean there are scabies there. 7.	Myth: You can get scabies by standing in close proximity to someone. No, you can’t unless they have crusted Norwegian scabies and a scab falls on you. Scabies do not jump. You must have PROLONGED skin-to-skin contact to get scabies or come in contact with recently used clothing, towels or bedding although this is a more uncommon way to contract them. Getting them from furniture is very rare (or else everyone would have them who has ever visited the dermatologist).

You are dead wrong here.

8.	Myth: There are a lot of studies on scabies. False. Little research has been done on the methods of curing or contracting scabies.

Have you visited pubmed lately?

9.	Myth: Every red bump on your body is a scabies mite. False. There are 10 or fewer scabies burrowed under the skin of a normal, healthy person. However, if you have crusted Norwegian scabies, you have thousands of mites on you. The scabies mites usually appear as white bumps at the end of a burrow until the allergic reaction begins. Then through scratching or histamines, the bumps may or may not turn red. Red bumps resembling measles or chicken pox may appear on other parts of the body, but these are an allergic reaction and all those red bumps do not have a scabies mite inside of them. 10.	Myth: You got scabies from your pet. False, the true human scabies mite cannot live long on a pet and the pet mites cannot live long on humans. However, human mites can live long enough on a pet to re-infect you if you do not treat your animal when you are being treated. 11.	Fact: If you do use Elimite (Acticin, Permithrin, Kwill or Lindane), you should not apply a second time without a doctor’s absolute confirmation of living mites still on you. These poison lotions are effective 98% of the time. They are dangerous and should only be used once or not at all if possible. 12.	Fact: Ivermectin is an internal worm medication that when used alone without poison lotions has been shown to cure scabies. Search PubMed for research articles on Ivermectin. This is still considered experimental according to Merck Pharmaceutical’s website. 13.	Myth: Scratching helps get rid of scabies. False. Yes, you will have some dead scabies mites under your nails, but scratching opens wounds in which bacteria frequently enters. This often leads to impetigo.

Natural Cures for Scabies--voyajer 12/1/05
Or everything you could ever know about scabies but never really wanted to know about Scabies is a human parasitic mite. The human variety only lives on humans. You only get it through prolonged skin-to-skin contact with another human that has it. Although much less likely, it is possible to become infected from sharing their bedding or clothing. They don’t jump and must crawl from another person to you at the rate of one inch per minute, so you are not going to get scabies from a handshake. There isn’t a lot of real research on scabies transmission, so there are a lot of mixed messages out there. But scabies don’t care if you are a clean person or a dirty person. They will crawl onto anyone if given enough skin-to-skin contact. However, someone who frequently washes their hands is likely to wash off the mite which can take up to an hour to burrow in. (But please try not to become Howard Hughes or Jack Nicholson in “As Good As It Gets”)

The links below will describe in much more depth what scabies are, what they look like close up, including pictures of their rash, tracks and places found.

The medical community in sophisticated countries prescribes chemical pesticides that are toxic and tell you to leave them on the skin of your entire body for a minimum of 8 hours. These pesticides can cause seizures, tumors, cancer, year-long post-scabies dermatitis, mental retardation, and death. And there is little research and evaluation that has gone into these pesticides, see links below. The main scabies medication of choice is Elimite (permithrin) a pesticide poison that is declared by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) as never safe in any amount or any form, yet it is the so-called safest 1 day poison scabies medication. It contains formaldehyde which causes cancer and other ingredients that cause tumors and cancer in laboratory animals and weaken the immune system and is similar to DDT affecting the nervous system. It is said to have caused death in people who have used it more than once or for too long. The least problem with it is that it causes the skin to be very sensitive for up to a year so that you get allergic (itchy) reactions to everything. I've read hundreds of messages on the scabies message boards from people who continue after several months being itchy from the poison lotion and complaining of different types of dermatitis that they developed from the poison lotion although their scabies are dead. There is another medication called Lindane which has caused people to have permanent seizure disorders.


 * Please kindly reference the place you see EPA commenting on permethrin as "never safe in any amount or any form". I do not seem to get it in the webpage of EPA: http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0185.htm

With the crusted type, white, flaking skin scabies (Norwegian Scabies), you may have no choice but to use the pesticide. This type of scabies is hard to get rid of and you can catch it easier than the scabies found in normal, healthy individuals.

For a natural cure, you are going to have to dedicate a minimum of one week and maybe two, but I think it is worth it. Your doctor would rather prescribe the pesticide lotion to everyone in the house whether they have symptoms or not, because it is easier that way for the doctor.

If you have had a diagnosis of scabies, then you’ve had it about a month before you started itching anyway, so what is a week more? And if you are asymptomatic for scabies (have no symptoms), then why put poison on your body?

None of the following cures work in one day so be careful not to have prolonged skin contact with anyone while trying these natural and self-cures.

Warning: Do not try any of the cures below except for “HEAT” if you have already applied the prescribed poison lotion to your skin i.e. Acticin, Permithrin, Elimite, Kwill, Lindane, etc. If you have used these lotions, your immune system is weakened and your skin is going to be sensitive and raw for up to a year. Do not use any products below as they will cause you to itch more and you will think you still have scabies. Search the web for “post-scabies” to see how sensitive your skin has become from the doctor prescribed poison lotions. "has low mammalian toxicity, is poorly absorbed through the skin and is rapidly inactivated by the body. Skin reactions have been uncommon" ---From the article on permithrin. It's cited in that article. Also, if you have permirthin on your skin, it's best NOT to apply heat. Look it up before you tell people this is safe. Heat increases the permiability of skin, and will increase absorption of practically anything. Permithrin can cause some itchyness for a while (as in a few days,) but is pretty harmless in the quantities that it's used for scabies, though (like most medications meant to be applied topically) it's probably best not to have too much absorbed into your bloodstream. The EPA I believe has issues with it because it kills beneficial insects like honeybees.

Natural Cures
HEAT

Scabies hate heat. They die at over 120 degrees Fahrenheit. They die in a hot washer. They die in the dryer. They die when washed in bleach. Dry cleaning kills scabies. Most die in 24 hours when not on a human, although some can live up to 3 days. Eggs hatch and die in 3 to 5 days off the skin.

If you don’t want to put insecticide directly on your baby or yourself, you are going to have to go through a bit more trouble to get rid of the scabies. Unfortunately at 120 degrees, your skin will have first degree burns at the very least.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
 * Slight contradiction here***

The hottest place a human can go is a dry sauna which is generally over 160 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the skin only reaches a temperature of 104 degrees F in a sauna. A sauna will kill most surface males making reproduction difficult. One sauna is not a cure-all. If you want to be really on the safe side, take a sauna every day for 5 days. But this still isn’t enough. During each of these days, only wear newly washed clothing and sleep in clean bedding and use freshly washed towels after each bath. It is a good idea to vacuum mattress, furniture and carpets too.

At this point, you may have killed all the scabies, but I wouldn’t put all my (scabies) eggs in one basket.

If you can tough it out, use a hot hair dryer on your hands and wrists everyday until you can’t stand the heat. (Do not do this to children or pets.)

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV Many more people have likely died from saunas than permethrin. Use what has been proven to work. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 * slight contradiction here***

Warning: Never put a baby or child under 10 in a dry sauna without consulting a physician who will probably tell you not to do it. Make sure you and your teenagers are well-hydrated (have drunk plenty of water) before entering dry sauna. Have each person decide when they’ve had enough or feel uncomfortable even if it is after 30 seconds. You can build up a tolerance to the heat, but never stay when you begin to feel dizzy or uncomfortable.

TEA TREE OIL This stuff really is strong but does it work?

Australian Tea Tree Oil has been used successfully to treat scabies for many years. Tea Tree Oil is non-toxic and herbal. (As with all essential oils, do not apply any essential oil full strength to the skin as they are very concentrated and can cause contact dermatitis.) Even so, full strength Tea Tree Oil may be applied directly to the scabies bumps in a small area. Do a test on a small patch of skin first to see if you have an allergic reaction.

Australian Tea Tree Oil should never be used full strength on children or animals. The liver processes the oil, so using daily can put a strain on the liver. However, it is much less toxic than the chemical pesticide medication which also puts a great strain on the liver.

Tea Tree Oil soap, shampoo and lotion are much milder preparations and can be used daily safely and on children, but watch for redness and hives or other signs of allergic reaction. On children, you may want to use once every few days rather than every day.

Other essential oils that help in scabies treatment are lavender and peppermint. Mix a few drops in a misting bottle filled with water. Spray over skin. (Always test a small patch of skin for allergies first.)

Remember, while treating scabies, only clean clothing, towels and bedding must be used daily.

NEEM

Neem is made from a plant in India. It has been used successfully there to treat scabies. Neem is non-toxic and herbal. Buy Neem soap, shampoo and lotion and alternate with Tea Tree Oil. Again, most do not show an allergic reaction, but watch for signs of redness after using as with Tea Tree Oil. (Remember, scabies doesn’t come and go on a daily basis. Allergic rash will usually fade within 24 hours.)  Take a nice 20 minute bath with Neem oil in it.

Don’t forget to wash your clothing, towels and bedding daily.

SULFUR

A 10% solution of sulfur and petroleum jelly will definitely cure scabies. It has been used for centuries. Sulfur smells and can cause an allergic reaction too (because there probably isn’t anything in the world that doesn’t cause an allergic reaction in somebody).

You can buy this sulfur ointment in the U.S. or online without a prescription.

Use sulfur ointment on skin for 3 days while washing all clothes, bedding and linens. It smells, but it works. In so-called third world countries, sulfur ointment is used successfully on children. It is drying to the skin and should not be used in combination with any other treatment besides possibly heat.

Sulfur soap is also available and is wonderful for clearing up eczema and acne too.

BORAX

Borax is an enzyme used very frequently in powder form as an additive to laundry. You can put two cups of Borax in a bath and it will kill all surface scabies, however, Borax is pretty strong. It can leave your skin raw and itchy for quite some time. Also, this is something you only can do once a month at most without becoming sensitive to everything in the world that causes rashes. And one Borax bath probably isn’t going to kill the female mites who have burrowed under the skin. Still, it is worth a try if the methods above haven’t finished the job.

Borax is not a enzyme. --BerserkerBen 21:40, 11 January 2006 (UTC)

ARTICLES WITH MITES

Articles such as pillows, toys, etc. should be isolated for a minimum of 4 days. Some doctors say two weeks, just to make sure. Others say 7 days inside a plastic bag. Some say just throw into a hot dryer for 20 minutes. It’s up to you.

SAFEST UNNATURAL CURES

This isn’t a natural cure and should only be tried if the above natural cures have not eradicated the scabies: bathe in a bath with lice shampoo added or wash scabies bumps with lice shampoo. Note: Most scabies are resistant to lice shampoo, but the 10 minutes of the poison lice shampoo is less damaging to the body than 8 to 24 hours of prescribed poison lotion would be.

Another chemical alternative is Benzyl Benzoate cream which is available in the UK and on the internet. Unfortunately, about 30% of scabies mites are resistant, but that also means that 70% of the time it works and it is much less toxic than any other doctor prescribed medication.

Remember the only sure cure for scabies that is the safest is 10% sulfur ointment. This has been proven in scientific studies. The most aggressive successful easiest proven cure is Ivermectin (Stromectol) a dewormer. This is not natural, but it is fast and sure. However, for those who want to go the natural route, you must be persistent and patient.

I have used Gamma Benzene hexachloride I.P 1% Centrimide I.P 0.1% daily after a hot bath and it is found to be effective in 3 or 4 days.

Pesticide Drug Cautions http://www.safe2use.com/pests/lice/most-toxic.htm#permethrin http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2003/ANS01205.html

Explanation of Scabies http://www.safe2use.com/pests/scabies/sitemap-mite.htm http://www.medinfo.co.uk/conditions/scabies.html http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/communicable_diseases/en/scabies.htm http://www.drgreene.com/21_812.html http://www.ashastd.org/stdfaqs/scabies.html

Pictures of Scabies http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Search_Choices.htm http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Search_Choices.htm http://www.herpes-coldsores.com/std/scabies_pictures.htm http://www.aad.org/pamphlets/Scabies.html http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic517.htm http://www.safe2use.com/pests/scabies/scabies.htm

Can scabies affect the unborn fetus in a pregnant woman

NO. Scabies cannot affect an unborn fetus. It is a mite that stays superficially in the skin. However, the treatment used by the mother to kill the scabies can be toxic to the infant. ONLY sulfur ointment should be used on pregnant women.--voyajer 12/1/05

So can Scabies just die off after a month or so?

Normally NO. Scabies live very comfortably under the top layer of skin, laying eggs, reproducing and thriving. One must take measures to kill them.

it seems like the last section of this article contains approximately the same information in the first sections. why is it here?

NPOV
There seems to be an anti-drug treatment bias in this article, a variety of anti-drug claims lack references or are referred to in the talk page to seemingly bias or agenda oriented sites, I have removed some of the most serious bias claims with more neutral statements referenced to a secondary source of government or educational origin, but I need others to clarify other problem statement that exist throughout the article.

I have used Gamma Benzene hexachloride I.P 1% Centrimide I.P 0.1% daily after a hot bath and it is found to be effective in 3 or 4 days Tea Tree Oil is really strong though
 * I don't comment on the article that was tagged, but the current version of the article reads accurate and NPOV to me. If anything, the only non-NPOV statement is the one that discounts the risks of Ivermectin.  Ivermectin is generally well tolerated, but owing to its long half-life, allergic or other adverse reactions to it can last months and can be fatal. -Ikkyu2 05:05, 30 January 2006 (UTC)


 * Well then statements like these should be cited: "but many have found complications later by taking Permethrin treatments (Acticin or Elimite) due to the pesticide content. Sometimes the effects of too much pesticide can cause bad complications for a year or more." Need to be cited to a reputable source. Statement throughout the article constantly say that the sulfur treatment is less toxic and the pesticide treatments have long term side effects, I would like to see a medical source on effects from sulfur treatment. --BerserkerBen 15:43, 30 January 2006 (UTC)

I wanted to comment on the statements about Elimite. Yes it can cause liver problems, but in high quantities, therefore contraindicated for people with pre existing liver conditions. It is not something you would want to use unless confirmed by a doctor that you have scabies. The usual treatment with Elimite is to apply before you go to bed, ESPECIALLY UNDER NAILS, and shower 12 hours later. Repeat a week later to kill any new mites that may have hatched. Having worked in a nursing home with an outbreak of scabies, and having had it myself, the cheapest, safest and easiest way to get rid of scabies is buy a head lice kit. Use the spray on bed and seats and apply shampoo to the body for about 10 minutes before showering. Repeat process in a week. Make sure to dry laundered clothes on the highest heat setting. The nursing home used Elimite and all the treated patients are fine now and it's been a year. One co-worker tanned regularly in a tanning bed and never had scabies, coincidence? don't know —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.154.23.233 (talk • contribs).

feline scabies
I have a cat that appears to have some of the symptoms that scabies produces. Dry, flaky skin and lots of white specks that look like dandruff. Is it possible for humans to catch feline scabies from cats? Is the scabies parasitum specific to the human race, or can the creature move from species to species, more or less freely, or as the opportunity presents itself? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 198.177.27.14 (talk • contribs).


 * Feline scabies is caused by a different parasite, Notoedres cati. . Treatment for cats is different than treatment for other animals, so a trip to the vet may be in order (there are also other conditions that may look like scabies). In general, the parasites prefer their native hosts, but aren't completely restricted to them, so they can cause disease in more than one species. - Nunh-huh 05:20, 20 January 2006 (UTC)
 * I went to the website you listed, and appreciate the pictures of the disease. However, sedating my cat (for the purpose of bathing it, as was recommended) is not an option, as it is somewhat feral.  Can ethyl alcohol (like that found in vodka) be used to kill the parasite, even if the eggs survive?  The white, itchy, dandruffy stuff that makes the cat scratch so much is on its back (where it can't get to it, to bathe itself by self-grooming), not its stomach, as would appear to be the case from the information in that website.  (I've seen cats with a thickened, crinkled-up skin condition, as from scabies on the ears, but that was years ago.)  The white dandruffy skin condition on the cat's back is so thick that it can come off after being vigorously scratched, and the chafing necessarily raises a little bit of a welt.  Is this condition attributable to feline scabies? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 198.177.27.14 (talk • contribs).


 * Can anyone explain the reason that tea tree oil might kill a mite better than any other kind of topically applied oil, such as the oil of the juniper tree, or even sewing machine oil? Am I right that oil kills the bug by clogging up the joints to its limbs, through which it probably respires?  If that is the case, many kinds of oils (more or less effectively, according to the degree of their viscosity) would have the same effect. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 198.177.27.28 (talk • contribs).

>>>> From my knowledge of biology, the reason Tea Tree oil works is because it is the Tea Tree's natural defence against mites which may attack it. As to how the Tea Tree oil works, I'm not certain. I do know that Tea Tree oil is also antibacterial and antifungal. Other oils probably wouldn't work unless they came from a natural source, such as Neem oil (which is also the tree's / plant's defence against attack). —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 213.10.189.154 (talk • contribs).

how-to problem
this article is very "how-to"ish - it reads almost like an instruction manual. check out which details that wikipedia is not a repository for this kind of info Goldfinger820 22:42, 30 August 2006 (UTC) the treatment section still requires rewrite to remove "how-to" advice Goldfinger820 20:19, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

Are scabies visible 24/7?
Are scabies visible 24/7 or are they only visible when u have an "attack". I read that scabies are usually worse at night, therefore I am confused as to whether they are more visible or only visible at night when u have an "attack". —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.146.49.245 (talk • contribs).

Immunosuppression
Why is AIDS being singled out? There are many immunosuppressive conditions that will result in the same effect. Where AIDS is not being explicitly detailed, I am changing the text to reflect all immunosuppressed person. --Waterspyder 01:02, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

By the way, the "Compromised immune systems" section seems to be quite messed up. The description of mites, larvae, etc. constitutes roughly a half of the section's text. It is very strange, given that such information is completely out of place in this section. 92.125.103.101 (talk) 14:11, 13 October 2008 (UTC)

I think the "Compromised immune systems" section should be removed immediately. It does not have proper references and it is NOT representative for Scabies, and may well be severly misinterpreted. /Ken —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.160.50.2 (talk) 11:52, 1 February 2009 (UTC)

Scabies in 3rd world countries
All treatement suggestion are great, but not realistic in countries were it is hard to get electricity. Medication can be available, but the cleaning/folow-up process is somewhat impossible. The use of heat cannot be possible to kill mites on clothes and other (dryer, hairdry, etc). Quarantine is also not possible in my case since I backpack trought south America...

To you have any suggestion that I could use in my situation? I have put clothes in BOILING water, but it was a very painful process for both me and the clothes.

I tough I had kill scabies from me, but itching and bumps started to reappear after 3-4 weeks! I'm started to get worried that I will have it for life! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 200.6.232.199 (talk • contribs).

in vietnam they used to kill of the little fuckers by pouring petrol or meths right onto the skin —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 203.211.111.123 (talk • contribs).

Anecdotal Evidence is POV
I just wanted to point out that there are a lot of comments on this page that are of the form: "I did X and it got rid of this..." and "Instead of using harmful Y, I used this wonderful all-natural non-toxic Z and it cured my scabies (and my cancer, and my blindness, and my gout, and my birth defects, blah blah blah...!)..." which is all well and good but it's anecdotal evidence and not justification for introducing what seems to me to be one's own POV. We are not supposed to be endorsing or discouraging any forms of treatment whatsoever. As a matter of fact, no one contributing to anything on wikipedia is supposed to be recommending or suggesting any sort of treatment for any medical condition at all and that seems to have crept into this page. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Mtiffany71 (talk • contribs).

Treatment Section Cleanup
Cleanup of the lindane blurb. To paraphrase what was there "Seventeen deaths linked to lindane, three deaths positively confirmed..." I followed to link provided, which cites the source, scrolled down to the Deaths section and found the information on the wikipedia scabies page to be misleading. Of the three positively confirmed deaths, one was a suicide and the other two were found to have not followed the directions for appropriate use. So I removed all mentions of death attributable to lindane use. Given the number of times it must have been prescribed, three deaths is darned near statistically insignificant. Mtiffany71 04:45, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

May 2007: Further cleanup on treatment section: provided cited facts about lindane and its safety and effectiveness in scabies treatment. Removed superlative word phrases as in: "safest treatment" and "cheapest treatment" re: 10% sulfur ointment. Mtiffany71 16:58, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Relation to Mange and Mange's Zoonosis
There is no reference or citation to the article's claim that Mange is zoonotic and can infect humans. The US CDC actually claims to the contrary at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/scabies/factsht_scabies.htm.

JCrickmer 02:54, 31 May 2007 (UTC)


 * I changed it to "can transiently affect humans". I agree that the term zoonosis was a little strong, as that indicates that humans can get a scabies infection from a dog, and all that implies.  The CDC article does say, "Until your pet is successfully treated, mites can continue to burrow into your skin and cause you to have symptoms."  --Joelmills 03:21, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

Anecdotal to be sure: Kwell (Lindane) if inhaled can, transiently, produce a reinforcing effect on the central nervous system. Presumably it has to do with the dopaminergic pathways. In other words; it can get a 'sniffer' high. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.127.241.2 (talk) 15:27, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

Cleanup of "Treatment" section
I've been attempting to reduce the POV and 'How To' aspects of the Treatment Section, in reaction to the Labels of that section. I'm not exactly clear--althoughI have some idea--why those labels were applied, and as I've no expertise whatsoever in either parasitology or dermatology, I'm making a lot of guesses. Any help? Rick lightburn (talk) 17:23, 14 December 2007 (UTC)

It would be important to add information about how long do these parasites live outside the human body. A dermatologist told me they don't last more than a day. Thanks. Sergio A. Yuhjtman —Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.19.154.93 (talk) 21:15, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

Accidentally unsigned edits
I made some edits on this before I signed in. My not signing was an oversite. As 66.237.109.194 on December 12 2007, and as 121.79.64.41 on December 14 2007. Rick lightburn (talk) 17:01, 17 December 2007 (UTC)

Merge?
I have seen several species articles joined with disease articles. Especially as the present species article has some bare-bone facts, a good taxobox, and a brief of the disease article, but nothing else. Dysmorodrepanis (talk) 00:33, 27 December 2007 (UTC)

I read both articles and agree whole-heartedly. Much of the information is repeated and some appears identically written. Merging them would be a service to the community. Please pardon me, but I'm not sure how to site myself here: User:Datachip January 24, 2008  Datachip (talk) 01:25, 25 January 2008 (UTC)
 * I oppose the merge, but agree that the redundancies should be reduced. In most medical articles, the organism is kept separate from the condition. --Arcadian (talk) 20:48, 9 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Datachip: use 4 tildes ~ to produce your signature/timestamp. Dysmorodrepanis (talk) 04:03, 23 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I strongly oppose the merging. Repeating some info is only natural, but a mite species and a disease are different things (there are different articles for the HIV virus and AIDS too!), and deserve separate articles.Kaarel (talk) 18:20, 5 April 2008 (UTC)
 * Merger is not a good idea here. The parasitosis and the parasite are not the same thing. There are quite a few different mites that are associated with the skin (Demodex, for example) but without a named disease.--Wloveral (talk) 04:02, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Microscopic Diagnosis
Regarding the section on diagnosis, the text says "Avoiding potassium hydroxide is necessary because it may dissolve fecal pellets". This statement has no citation and in Kumar & Clarks' Clinical Medicine (6th Ed, 2006 Elsevier Saunders) confirmation is described as taking the skin scrapings of a lesion and using a potassium hydroxide preparation to examine the scraping for mites/eggs... Mike Burden (talk) 18:20, 28 July 2008 (UTC)


 * Looks like a cut and paste from another page.-- Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 16:04, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

8 week incubation period - wrong?
That seems to be quite a long time for life in the fast line (read minute creatures).


 * Yes it is actually three weeks incubation.-- Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 16:04, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

Permethrin info incorrect
I rtead the alarming text "(regardless of physician's instructions, it must be applied from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet).[7]" and though it worthwhile checking out the citation. I can see no reference in the Permethrin factsheet to this advice. If Wikipedia is going to give medical advice that directly contradicts your own doctor, shouldn't it make sure it's true? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.40.46.85 (talk) 07:54, 30 June 2009 (UTC)