Some 7,000 people suffering from scabies in northeast

An outbreak of scabies in the northeastern province of Badakhshan has affected at least 7,000 people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). "WHO estimates that the disease has impacted on 7,000 residents in Nusai district in Badakhshan province," Dr Sardar Ahmad, WHO information officer, told IRIN in the Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday. WHO and the Afghan Health Ministry were sending medication to the area to stop the spread of the disease, he added. Scabies is a fairly common infectious disease of the skin caused by a mite, producing pimple-like irritations. Scabies mites are transferred by direct skin-to-skin contact. The most prominent symptom of scabies is intense itching, particularly at night. The areas of the skin most affected include the webs and sides of the fingers, around the wrists, elbows and armpits, waist, thighs, genitalia, breasts and the lower buttocks. WHO, in collaboration with other partners and the Ministry of Health, has taken the initiative to combat the crisis by sending medicines and supplies to the affected area, Sardar said, noting that they were starting health education awareness programmes to prevent a re-occurrence of the disease in such remote areas. Bezyl Benzoate (BB) is used to treat scabies. They are applied to the whole body except the head and neck. People who have had skin contact with an infected person (including family members, direct care providers and sexual contacts) should also be treated. WHO has undertaken an assessment to determine the total number of affected families, Sardar said.