Parents of students at a Cornwall leading further education college have been warned that scabies has been discovered on campus and could spread. Truro and Penwith College has written to parents that some students at its Truro campus have caught the Victorian disease and it is highly contagious.
In the email seen by CornwallLive that was sent out on Monday (December 9), Truro College said: "We have been notified that some students in the college have reported skin rashes, which have been diagnosed by a clinician as being scabies.
"Scabies is caused by a small mite which lives in the skin and is spread by prolonged or frequent contact with an infected individual. It can also transmit through shared towels, bed linen, clothing and even soft furnishings such as fabric chairs or cushions."
The message to parents continues: "Scabies is infectious but it can take up to eight weeks for the rash to appear. If your child has or develops symptoms, that is an itchy rash that is worse at night or when they are hot, please see your GP and let them know that they have been in contact with someone who has scabies.
"if they are diagnosed with scabies it is important that all members of the household are also treated at the same time, regardless of whether they have any symptoms, as they are close contact and are at risk of developing scabies."
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According to the NHS the scabies rash usually spreads across the whole body, apart from the head and neck. It often affects skin between the fingers, around the wrists, under the arms, and around the waist, groin and bottom.
However, older people and young children may develop a rash on their head, neck, palms and soles of their feet.
People with a weakened immune system can sometimes get a rare and very contagious type of scabies, called crusted scabies. The main symptom is a crusted, flaky rash that often affects the elbows, knees, hands and feet.
The online factsheet about the Victorian disease adds: "Scabies is not usually a serious condition, but it does need to be treated. A pharmacist will recommend a cream or lotion that you apply over your whole body. It's important to read the instructions carefully."
Adults and children aged five years or over can go back to work or school as soon as they have started treatment. It's important to avoid close contact with other people for the first 24 hours. Children under five years old can go back to nursery or pre-school 24 hours after the first treatment.
In October it was reported how the disease has seen a resurgence of late with a growing number of cases being reported in England.
In England, hospital diagnoses of scabies jumped to 3,689 in the year ending April, compared to 2,128 the previous year, according to NHS data. Prof Kamila Hawthorne, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, pointed out that although scabies is not typically widespread, the current figures are "above the five-year average and rising".
At the time she told the BBC: "While not a serious condition, scabies can be very itchy and irritating. If not properly treated, it can spread and increase a patient's risk of complications, such as secondary skin infections or make existing skin conditions worse."
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