Scabies rears its itchy head in George

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GEORGE NEWS & VIDEO - A number of scabies cases were reported at the Thembalethu Clinic, which was inundated on Tuesday 15 November by more than 200 children sent there from various primary schools in Thembalethu. They presented with itching and a rash.

Garden Route district health spokesperson Nadia Ferreira said no specific cause could be established for the itching and rash. All the children were examined and a few were diagnosed with scabies.

"No infectious diseases like measles or chicken pox were found. Most of the children are healthy and no specific cause for itching could be determined. The children are being given antihistamines, cream and scabies treatment where appropriate," said Ferreira.

The schools were asked to stop sending children to the clinics as crowd control was becoming difficult. Ferreira said Western Cape Government Health was liaising with Western Cape Government Education to assess the children and send treatment to the schools.

"The environmental health practitioner (EHP) team is visiting the schools to assess the cause. Bird lice, other lice, ticks and fleas are suspected. The EHP team will advise Western Cape Government Education and Disaster Management regarding appropriate measures. We ask everyone to please remain calm, the situation is being actively managed."

In a group Whats-App message of a primary school not presenting any itching children, teachers are informed that the itching seemingly was caused by packets of sherbet that children had bought through the school fence. The teachers are told to warn their learners against buying sherbet at the fence.

Comment regarding this allegation is being awaited from the departments of health and education.

George Herald's sister newspaper, Oudtshoorn Courant, last week reported that an increasing number of scabies cases had been diagnosed in the Oudtshoorn district.

Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), commented, "The WCED is aware of the reported cases of alleged scabies in the Oudtshoorn and George area. The WCED has been in contact with the health authorities and is getting advice on measures to limit the spread of the scabies and treat the affected learners. Health school nurses are also assisting learners with identified symptoms.

"No schools have been closed. Schools have been asked to ensure that identified learners are quarantined at home for a period of five days. We are hopeful that these are isolated cases."

A school warned on a whatsapp group that packets of sherbet sold to learners through the school fence might be the cause of the itching.

What schools should do

The WCED on its website advises that in the event of scabies, learners should be excluded from school until 24 hours after treatment has started.

Scabies cannot be self-diagnosed or treated, therefore if the school suspects a scabies infection, the learner should be referred to the nearest health clinic or doctor/nurse.

Mite infection

According to the World Health Organisation, human scabies is a parasitic infestation caused by the human itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei var hominis).

The microscopic mite burrows into the skin and lays eggs, eventually triggering a host immune response that leads to intense itching and rash. Most individuals are infected with 10 to 15 mites. Scabies occurs worldwide but is most common in hot, tropical countries and in areas of high population density.