Scabies is an itchy rash caused by the parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei. Scabies has caused pruritic infestation in humans for over 2,500 years, at least back to the Roman period. The Romans used 'scabies' to describe any itchy skin disease. The word scabies is derived from the Latin word 'scabere', meaning 'to scratch'. The mite was identified in the 17th century, and described by an Italian physician, Giovanni Cosimo Bonomo, making it one of the first diseases to have a known cause.1
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://patient.info/doctor/dermatology/scabies-pro