UK medical professionals have noted a sharp increase in scabies cases, attributing a primary driver of this issue to disruptions in medication supply chains and subsequent treatment delays. This observation was shared with The Conversation by Joe Middleton, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sussex and a Fellow of the British Academy.
According to the specialist, wholesale pharmaceutical suppliers experienced reductions during the 2023-2024 period, particularly affecting the importation of permethrin-based scabies creams. This shortage prevented many patients from commencing treatment promptly, allowing the infection to spread further. Consequently, within a single year, England and Wales recorded 241 scabies outbreaks across various settings, including schools and nursing homes.
Determining the overall scope of this problem is more difficult since scabies is not a condition requiring mandatory reporting, leading many individuals to self-treat using over-the-counter remedies. Nevertheless, general practitioners report a notable surge in patient consultations over recent years.
An emerging risk factor involves reports from certain other nations suggesting that scabies mites are developing resistance to permethrin. However, the expert emphasizes that in the UK, treatment ineffectiveness is generally linked less to the medication itself being “non-functional” and more to complications arising from improper application methods and delayed initiation of therapy.
The expert also dismissed the common belief linking scabies to poor hygiene: mites tolerate soap and alcohol-based products well. Transmission occurs through brief skin-to-skin contact, and while the parasites can survive off the host for up to a week, skin remains their preferred environment.
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