Scabies outbreak at hospital closes wards

A Welsh hospital has restricted visitors and closed two wards following an outbreak of scabies.

Hywel Dda health board said the wards at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, were currently closed "due to infection", with restrictions on visitors put in place on Sunday to limit the spread.

Scabies is a highly contagious skin infestation caused by microscopic mites that burrow under the skin and spread through close skin contact, according to the NHS.

The health board said a number of cases were being managed in healthcare and community settings across its area - which covers Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire - but the risk to the wider public remained low.

Scabies is a common skin condition and can affect people of all ages.

It causes itching, especially at night, as well as a raised rash or spots which usually spread across the whole body.

Unlike bed bugs, scabies mites are not visible to the human eye and they are also not caused by poor hygiene.

Scabies is highly contagious through prolonged skin-to-skin contact or shared bedding or clothing with partners and household members.

However, it is not usually associated with serious illness and can be treated effectively by applying over-the-counter cream or lotion to the entire body.

Every person in an affected household needs to be treated at the same time.

All bedding and clothing in the affected household needs to be washed at 60C on the first day of treatment, and any clothing that cannot be washed should be placed in a sealed bag for at least three days until the mites die.

Sharon Daniel, executive director of nursing, quality and patient experience at Hywel Dda University health board, said it was "taking direct action to treat patients, staff and contacts, and undertake deep cleaning of our wards, in line with infection prevention control measures".

She added: "Scabies is highly contagious and difficult to eradicate, and we are grateful to everyone for their continued support.

"We will be contacting individuals whose planned care appointments may be impacted by this, as soon as possible. This does not impact services provided by the Minor Injury Unit."