The UK is experiencing an unusually high number of scabies outbreaks, with doctors urging people to seek medical attention if they notice red spots on their body and not ignore the symptoms.

Scabies is an itchy rash caused by mites and spread by close skin-to-skin contact. Early treatment is crucial to prevent spread. Anyone can get the disease.

Common symptoms include intense itching, especially at night, and a raised rash or patches.

Scabies typically causes a rash all over the body except the head and neck, and often appears between the fingers, around the wrists, armpits, waist, groin, and buttocks.

In young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems, scabies can affect the scalp, neck, palms, and soles. In people with weakened immune systems, a highly contagious form called Norwegian scabies can cause a scaly rash on the elbows, knees, hands, and feet.

The number of cases diagnosed in hospitals across the country has exceeded 3,600, according to the NHS.

According to Professor Camila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), many people experiencing symptoms are reluctant to seek medical care due to the “social stigma” associated with the infection. She noted that the number of diagnoses made by GPs “is above the average for the past five years and continues to rise, with a sharp increase in cases in the north of England.”

“While it’s not a serious condition, scabies can cause severe itching and irritation,” she said.

“If not treated properly, it can spread and increase the patient’s risk of complications, such as secondary skin infections, or worsen existing skin conditions.”

One of the reasons for the scabies outbreak, despite the social stigma associated with it, is the lack of medication.