Welsh hospital closed after outbreak of rare for of scabies

A hospital ward has been shut down following an outbreak of a rare form of scabies, a Victorian-era illness that is increasingly on the rise across the UK.

Steffan Ward at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen, Wales, will close to manage the outbreak "in line with established infection prevention and control procedures".

Hywel Dda health board confirmed that patients and staff identified as contacts have been offered treatment, including those showing no symptoms, reports the Express.

The health board also stated that additional infection prevention and control measures have been introduced on the ward, encompassing "enhanced monitoring, treatment of identified contacts and ongoing support from specialist teams," as reported by BBC Wales.

As the NHS outlines on its website, "scabies is an itchy rash caused by mites. It's spread through close skin contact, and anyone can get it. It should be treated quickly to stop it spreading".

The telltale symptoms of scabies include intense itching, particularly at night, along with a raised rash or spots that may appear red. The website further notes that "scabies rash usually spreads across the whole body, apart from the head and neck. It often affects skin between the fingers, around the wrists, under the arms, and around the waist, groin and bottom".

"People with a weakened immune system can sometimes get a rare and very contagious type of scabies called crusted scabies. The main symptom is a crusted, flaky rash that often affects the elbows, knees, hands and feet," it also explained.

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