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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffVigorous scratching can break your skin and allow a secondary bacterial infection such as impetigo to occur. Impetigo is a superficial infection of the skin that's caused most often by staph (staphylococci) bacteria or occasionally by strep (streptococci) bacteria.
A more severe form of scabies, called crusted scabies, may affect certain high-risk groups, including:
- People with chronic health conditions that weaken the immune system, such as HIV or chronic leukemia
- People who are very ill, such as people in hospitals or nursing facilities
- Older people in nursing homes
Crusted scabies tends to be crusty and scaly, and covers large areas of the body. It's very contagious and can be hard to treat.
- Scabies. In: Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology. 4th ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00024-9&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00024-9--s0035&uniq=179974528&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00024-9%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-0-7234-3541-9%3BdisplayedEid%3D4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00024-9--s0035. Accessed Jan. 27, 2010.
- Scabies. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/scabies/index.html. Accessed Jan. 27, 2010.
- Scabies. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/common_scabies.html. Accessed Jan. 27, 2010.
- Andrews RM, et al. Skin disorders, including pyoderma, scabies, and tinea infections. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2009;56:1421.
- Gibson LE (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 16, 2010.
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