How long does it take to get scabies once exposed?

As soon as you hear the word scabies, you would want to know how long does it take for this tiny creepy crawly bug to infect you. Well, my friend, congratulations on taking a step towards hygiene and reading about bugs that can infest your skin! Let’s dive right in.

What is scabies and how do we get them?

Before jumping into how contagious these critters are, let’s find out more about what they are. Scabies is caused by microscopic parasites called Sarcoptes scabiei var hominis. They tunnel beneath your skin making burrows where they lay their eggs. Yes! Eggs! Tiny little creatures will hatch out of them if not dealt with promptly (reasons why cleanliness is important!). These insects enter human bodies mostly through direct contact with the infected person or indirectly via contaminated bedding or clothes of an affected individual.

So… How quickly can I become infected?

Ah yes, the age-old question: how instantly fallible am I after sitting next to someone who has been itching all day?. The answer varies due to numerous factors – but worry not dear sceptic – I have listed down scenarios for potential infection!

General transmission from exposed person

If you ever bump into someone at work/ school /a party going: ‘Oh my God, this itch won’t go away!’ You might want to steer clear since depending on several individual immunity levels – some people may show symptoms within days while others could be weeks before any symptoms start appearing on their skin (more commonly) One must closely observe any changes occurring post-exposure as sometimes there could be no visible symptoms even a month later !

Infected linens or clothes

Using communal laundry systems in schools and universities brings up memories from Resident Evil movies; In such situations exposure time comes under effect- since these little verminious buggers can survive upto 2-3 days on clothes and bedding materials alike!

Close contact with infected Individuals

Sharing a bed/couch/car ride for long hours with an affected individual proves to be the quickest and easiest way of catching scabies. It takes around 10/15 minutes roughly in close proximity for them to get onto your skin when you’re next to someone who has been itching all day!

So what might tip me off that I’ve got it?

Alright, listen up folks – this is important: Symptoms vary based on immune responses but mainly are quite visible within about six weeks after being infested. Early symptoms may include intense itching which intensifies during night-time (yes, they have favourite timing). Now consider yourself lucky if you’ve not yet been exposed via improper use especially among such items as bedding or garments.

If unfortunately enough, these nasty bugs may complete their lifecycle in approximately four weeks timeframe from egg hatching – meaning at maximum there could be some severe complications occurring beyond the scope of skin.

Treatments

Don’t fret too much though because scabies can easily be treated upon identification – Keep an eye out for any telltale signs like rashes and those annoyingly persistent itchings getting worse during sleep time -(did I mention the preferred timing?). Consult a doctor ASAP since it needs medical intervention once confirmed , prescribed medications would help terminate them pesky eggs dug deep into your pores thus treating other infections that may come along afterward!

Never resort to home remedies such as oils etc they’d end up making things worse by trying to kill adult mites(already dead) while ignoring developing larvae/pupae underground eager to make lifelong memories within our bodies.

Remember:

Prevention is always better than infection(!?).

Sarthak Garg
Grammarly QA Engineer
August2021

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