‘Major health crisis’ as Victorian disease surges and drugs supplies run dry

BRITAIN is facing a critical shortage of scabies medicines as children head back to school.

It comes as cases of the skin condition caused by an infestation of tiny mites are on the rise in the UK.

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Experts have warned the shortage is likely to become a “major public health issue”.

Supplies of the two most widely used treatments for scabies, permethrin cream and malathion lotion, are running low due to “increased demand”, the Department of Health said.

With no proposed end date, shortages are set to last indefinitely.

Ade Williams, a pharmacist from Bristol, told The Sun that supply of permethrin has been hard to get for “several months” and has been exacerbated by local outbreaks of the bugs.

“It’s certainly having an impact of our ability to care for our patients,” he said.

Scabies is not a particularly serious condition physically, but it can can trigger mental health issues, the pharmacist said.

“Skin conditions, uncomfortable as they, can also cause psychological trauma, social isolation and self consciousness,” he added.

“Scabies can have this impact across all age groups which is why this shortage is so worrying.”

Commenting on the supply issue, Dr Tess McPherson of the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD), said: “There is currently a national shortage of the medications used to treat scabies and we are aware of reports of an increase in cases of this fast-spreading condition.

“We are concerned that this could turn into a big public health problem if the supply issue isn’t resolved swiftly.”

Harley Street dermatologist Dr Firas Al-Niaimi described the treatment shortage as “concerning” given the “highly contagious nature of scabies”.

Scabies spread quickly through close person-to-person contact in a family, child care group, school class, nursing home or prison, the NHS says.

Because it spreads so easily, healthcare providers often recommend treating the entire family or any close contacts with medicines.

Until treatment stocks are replenished, Dr Firas suggests people avoid very close physical contact with those who could be infected as much as possible.

“Do not share others towels with people who could be infected and wash any suspected clothing or towels in minimum 60C,” he added.

BAD is calling for manufacturers of permethrin and malathion to increase production as there are “no realistic alternatives”.

The most recent scabies infection data suggests incidences of the bug have fallen.

UK Health Security Agency figures on the parasite, which are combined with public lice, indicate cases have dropped by 61 per cent been 2017 and 2021 – from 2,249 cases to 874.

But data for 2022 has not yet been made public.

Since the UK Covid lockdowns, cases of several nasty viruses have surged, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and flu.

In April, the Sun reported an outbreak of the critters in Norfolk.

Other outbreaks this year have been reported in Inverness, Newcastle and Cambridge.