Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in Yucatán, Rebeca Zetina Muñoz, scabious, also known as human scabies, is a very itchy skin condition and is characterized by papules (small pimples ), scabs, and small lines on the skin, mainly on the arms and genitals.
So far this year, 22 thousand confirmed cases of this pathology have been registered in the country, with a decrease of 28.4 percent compared to the same period in 2020, when there were over 30 thousand people infected.
Such a decrease is also observed in the Yucatan Peninsula, only 10.3 percent, according to the statistics provided.
Veracruz’s greatest problem is three thousand 84 infected, 14 percent, followed by Tamaulipas, with two thousand 161 infected, 9.8 percent, and Chiapas, with two thousand 134 cases, 9.7 percent.
While at the other end of the table is Morelos, with 36 positives, 0.16 percent, followed by Aguascalientes and Tlaxcala, with 37 cases, 0.17 percent, respectively.
At the moment, in Yucatan there are 933 accumulated cases so far this year, a figure that is 15.8 percent lower compared to the same period in 2020, when the sum was 1,010.
Currently, the State occupies ninth place in the national table, with 4.2 percent of the total registered in the nation, while Quintana Roo is in fifth place, with 1,182 cases, 5.4 percent, and Campeche the twentieth step, with 279 infected, 1.3 percent.
Regarding gender, at the national level, there are 12 thousand 687 women, 57.6 percent, and 9 thousand 352 men, 42.4 percent, while in Yucatan there are 492 women, 52.7 percent, and 441 men, 47.3 percent.
Zetina Muñoz reported that this condition is caused by a mite named Sarcoptes scabiei, a parasite that performs its complete cycle on the human host’s skin in a period of one to three weeks.
Intense itching sometimes appears seven to 15 days after infection, as an allergic response to the parasite.
Although scabies is very bothersome, it is not considered a serious disease; However, in untreated people, it can persist for months, and even lead to a secondary infection of the skin due to injuries that can be caused by scratching, so it is important that in case of presenting the aforementioned symptoms, consult with your doctor immediately.
She stated that this condition can occur in anyone, regardless of age or personal hygiene. It is spread by direct contact with infected individuals and, less frequently, by sharing clothing or bedding, so entire families can be infected.
Most people who are affected by this parasite present it on their hands and feet, she said.
She added that the most affected places are the interdigital grooves of the hands, the dorsal aspect of the feet, the inguinogenital region, the anterior aspect of the wrists, the axillary region, the submammary groove, the periumbilical region and the gluteal region.
In young children, pimples appear on the head, neck, shoulders, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet; while in older infants, pimples appear on the hands, wrists, and abdomen.
To prevent getting infected, it is important to avoid contact with infected people or to share clothing or bedding. The objective of the treatment is to eliminate the infection, with the application of creams and lotions throughout the body, and other medications that, according to the complications that have arisen, must be prescribed by a doctor.
If you are infected, you should change and wash all clothing and bedding. It may be necessary to treat the entire family, or people in direct contact with infected individuals, even when no symptoms are present.
The itching may persist after treatment has started, but it will disappear if the patient follows the indications prescribed by the doctor, in addition to general cleaning of the whole house to avoid new infestations.
The Yucatan Times Newsroom
