Scabies is a skin disease with which you can become infected. Scabies is caused by the scabies mite (‘Sarcoptes scabiei’).
Scabies is extremely itchy, especially at night. It is an irritating, but not serious disease. Scabies is not caused by a lack of hygiene (‘being clean or tidy’). Anyone can contract it. You can get it from other people who have scabies, but it requires quite close physical contact, such as holding hands or sharing a bed.
Scabies is easily treated. It is important that people in the immediate environment of the person who has scabies are also treated - even if they have no itching or skin abnormalities at all.
Your treating doctor will discuss the treatment options with you.
