Scabies is a skin disease caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis, which is a parasite that burrows into, resides and reproduces in human skin. It usually spreads through direct skin contact with an infested person. However, one can also get it by contacting items, such as clothing, bed linen and towels, contaminated by an infested person and thus carrying the mites or eggs.

It affects people of all ages, but the elderly or people with weakened immunity are more susceptible. Scabies can spread rapidly in crowded conditions, hence outbreaks of scabies have been reported in institutional settings such as hospitals, child-care facilities, hostels, elderly homes and detention facilities.

For information on scabies, including clinical features, mode of transmission and overall management, please refer to CHP website:
https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/healthtopics/content/24/39.html

If symptoms of scabies are noted successively in residents and/or staff of residential care home for the elderly, please refer to the section on outbreak of scabies in the “Guidelines on Prevention of Communicable Diseases in Residential Care Home for the Elderly (Last update: September 2025)” for the management.