Cases of scabies, a skin condition caused by a burrowing parasite, have almost doubled in the UK, according to the latest findings from the country’s leading health surveillance agency.
The UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) reported a significant resurgence of scabies, a disease that had historical outbreaks during medieval times, notably in the 14th Century. The agency’s recent report highlighted a notable increase in scabies cases following the pandemic, particularly over the past two years.
Between 2023 and 2024, diagnoses rose by 44%, totaling nearly 1,500 new cases. The data indicates a notable rise in cases among heterosexual men.
In 2024 alone, there were 4,872 confirmed scabies cases, marking a substantial increase from the previous year’s 3,393 cases. More than half of the new cases were observed in heterosexual men, constituting approximately 2,500 of the total caseload.
Following this group, the category with the next highest number of cases was “Gay, Bisexual, and other Men who have sex with Men,” reporting just under 1,500 cases. “Women who Have sex with Men” accounted for slightly over 500 cases.
Scabies is caused by a mite called Sarcoptes scabiei, which burrows into the skin, triggering severe itching due to an allergic response to the parasite and its byproducts. The UKHSA clarifies that scabies is a parasitic skin infection caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite, leading to intense itching and skin rashes.
The transmission of scabies most commonly occurs through close physical contact, including sexual interactions. If left untreated, infections can persist for several months to a year.
Treatment for scabies involves prescription creams and oral medications, which were unavailable to sufferers during the medieval period when scabies cases peaked in the 14th century. An example of the historical impact of scabies is seen in the writings of Italian poet Francesco Petrarca, who described his struggle with the disease in vivid detail.
Petarca wrote, “Since five months, this illness oppresses me so much that the hands are prevented to use the pen and to take the food, but they serve only to scratch and scrape it. I certainly know only one thing about my illness, that it will soon leave me or I will leave it: we cannot be together for a long time.” Scabies had a resurgence in North America and Europe in the 1960s, persisting as a global outbreak until the 1980s.
