Unichem Pharmacy Springvale owner Melina Holmes said there was “a lot” of scabies circulating in Whanganui.
“It’s been ongoing for over 12 months now,” Holmes said.
“It never used to be a problem, but it clearly is in Whanganui at the moment.”
Rest homes and early childhood centres were particularly affected, she said.
Gonville Health nurse and triage co-ordinator Tracey Linton noticed a “massive” increase in scabies affecting families, particularly in more crowded households.
She said it had been spreading through the community and could potentially lead to an outbreak.
“If you’ve got a house with extended family living there as well, not everyone gets treated the same. But with scabies, everybody has to be treated the same,
Because they were legally unable to prescribe for non-patients, some family members did not receive professional treatment, and families’ supplies ran out before the seventh day, when treatment should be repeated.
“We’d have a day of scabies. Every second, third person calling. And it is, a lot of the time, the same people.”
As a busy clinic, they could not keep up with the number of patients needing appointments for treatment.
The cost of hot-washing infected clothes and bedding discouraged some families from completing the treatment, Linton said.
“Washing all those blankets and towels would be an absolute nightmare, especially now when it’s raining, cold and no dryer. So maybe there needs to be something out there to help these families.
“It’s just a snowball effect.
“We have definitely, definitely noticed the increase at schools, not just primary but high schools as well. Lots of them are recurring.”
Families were being “constantly” reinfected by children at school or family members not included in household treatment.
Linton said schools should emphasise the importance of following the treatment regimen.
“I think we probably need to step it up a little bit.”
Whanganui Regional Health Network primary care pharmacist Sala Tikoimaleya said scabies prescriptions were common in community pharmacies.
“The ones that probably don’t want to go to the medical centres or have problems getting an appointment, they just come in to the pharmacy and buy them.”
Pharmacists were always available to help, she said.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Scabies is very common and it’s treatable. Don’t just treat the itch, treat the whole household.”
Diagnosing scabies
An itchy rash usually develops between a few days and six weeks after catching scabies. The arms, legs and trunk are usually most affected, and itching is worse at night or after a hot wash.
The rash commonly appears between the fingers and toes, around the wrists, in the groin, around the nipples and under the armpits. Only young children and infants are affected on the face or scalp.
People who suspect they have scabies should see their doctor for a skin examination.
Treating scabies
Permethrin or A-Scabies insecticide cream is available over the counter from pharmacies, but people are encouraged to get it prescribed by their doctor for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. Prescriptions are free with a Community Services Card.
Sometimes a tablet (ivermectin) is used, but patients must meet the criteria, and it is not funded.
Itching can be relieved with calamine lotion, tea tree oil, antihistamines or topical steroid creams prescribed by your healthcare provider.
If someone in your household has scabies, others are likely to get them too, so everyone should be treated at the same time, even if they are not showing symptoms.
Someone who has not been treated could reinfect the household.
Bedding and clothing used in the four days before treatment should be washed in hot water and dried or dry-cleaned at the same time. If they can’t be washed, store them in a sealed plastic bag for up to a week.
Repeat treatment after seven days.
After treatment
About 10 to 14 days after treatment, check all household members for new itchy spots or rash.
See your healthcare provider if the rash and itch have not improved, if the itch lasts more than six weeks, or it returns.
Noam Mānuka Lazarus (Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara) is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle.