Scabies Outbreak Closes Wards at Two Welsh Hospitals
Hywel Dda University Health Board closed three wards at Glangwili Hospital and one at Prince Philip Hospital over scabies. The biggest symptom to watch is intense itching that worsens at night, and recently discharged patients are being contacted.
Hywel Dda University Health Board in west Wales closed three wards at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen and one ward at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli to control a scabies outbreak, it confirmed on Friday, November 6. The biggest symptom to watch is intense itching that gets worse at night.
Scabies is a highly contagious skin condition spread through close contact and contaminated bedding. Visitors have been warned to take precautions, and some wards restrict entry. Staff are wearing extra protective equipment.
The same health board had already closed wards during the summer and again in October because of scabies.
What patients and visitors should look for
Itching is the most obvious sign. Sufferers may also see tiny silver or grey thread-like lines on the skin, made by mites burrowing under the top layer. Pimple-like spots or a red, itchy rash can appear alongside them.
In adults, mites tend to cluster between the fingers and in skin folds at the wrist, elbow, knee and armpit. They also burrow around the waist, on the buttocks and shoulder blades, in the nipples and on the penis.
Children and babies are more likely to get rashes on the face, neck, palms, head and soles of the feet.
How it spreads
Anyone can catch scabies through prolonged skin contact with an infested person. Sharing towels, bedding or clothes with someone contagious also spreads it.
Symptoms can take between four and eight weeks to appear after infestation. People can pass the mites on during that time.
Female mites burrow into the skin, feed, expel waste and lay eggs. They lay two to three eggs a day. The eggs hatch into larvae within three to four days, and the larvae move to the skin surface until they are old enough to reproduce and repeat the cycle.
The night-time itching is not caused by mites crawling. It is a mild allergic reaction to their proteins, eggs and droppings left under the skin.
Health board response
Sharon Daniel, executive director of patient experience at the health board, said additional infection prevention measures and a co-ordinated treatment programme are in place "to protect patients, staff and visitors and help prevent further spread."
She said patients recently discharged from the affected wards have been contacted directly. "The major hospital disruption has been contained and affected areas are under enhanced precautions and surveillance," Daniel said.
She added that the board remains alert because the transmission pathway crosses hospital, staff, community and care-home settings. "We recognise that additional precautions can be inconvenient for patients and families and thank everyone for their understanding and co-operation."
