A university in Seoul has declared a hygiene emergency after two students living in a male dormitory tested positive for scabies, a highly contagious skin infestation caused by microscopic mites.
University officials confirmed the cases on April 10, and both students were immediately sent home. In response, the dormitory underwent a full sanitation procedure the following day, and all residents were notified of the outbreak via emergency text alerts.
What Is Scabies?
Scabies is an infectious skin condition caused by Sarcoptes scabiei, a tiny mite that burrows into the outermost layer of the skin, where it lays eggs. The infestation causes intense itching, especially at night, inflammation, and, in some cases, secondary infections due to scratching.
The mites are not visible to the naked eye but are highly adapted to live at human body temperature, making close, prolonged skin contact the primary transmission route. Scabies can also spread indirectly through contaminated bedding, towels, or clothing, though brief contact, like a handshake, is unlikely to lead to infection.
Symptoms and Risks
Early signs often appear in thin, wrinkled skin—between the fingers, on the wrists, in the armpits, around the navel, inner thighs, or genital area. In children, symptoms can also spread to the face, scalp, palms, and soles. Scratching can lead to scabs, swelling, or pus; without timely treatment, symptoms may escalate into a more severe condition known as scabies dermatitis.
Because the condition can initially resemble mosquito bites or mild eczema, it’s often misdiagnosed or ignored, allowing it to spread among roommates, families, or larger groups in shared living environments.
Those with weakened immune systems, such as older adults or young children, are at increased risk of more severe reactions.
How It’s Treated
Scabies is treatable with both topical and oral medications. The most common treatment is permethrin cream, which is applied to the entire body and washed off after a prescribed duration. Oral medications may be prescribed in more severe cases.
Health officials stress that all close contacts—including roommates and family members—should undergo preventive treatment, even if they are not showing symptoms.
Clothing and bedding must be washed in hot water, dried on high heat, or sealed in airtight bags for at least 72 hours. Since mites cannot survive off the human body for more than two to three days, proper hygiene and quarantine protocols are essential to preventing reinfection.
Not a Matter of Shame
Health professionals caution against stigmatizing those infected, emphasizing that scabies is not a result of poor hygiene—it is simply a treatable skin infection that can affect anyone.
“Don’t dismiss nighttime itching or similar symptoms in multiple household members,” dermatologists advise. “In group living environments like dorms, long-term care facilities, or military housing, early recognition and quarantine are key to containment.”
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