Skabies, also known as scabies, is a skin disease caused by a tiny parasite called Sarcoptes scabiei. The main symptom of the disease is a skin rash and severe itching, which worsens at night. Other possible symptoms may include small, red lesions and itchy marks on the surface of the body, and sometimes a secondary skin infection may also develop. While scabies is usually not dangerous, it significantly affects the patients’ quality of life. However, it can be dangerous for those who are immunosuppressed, such as cancer or AIDS patients, as it may appear in a generalized form.
Professor Arnon Cohen explains that scabies is a highly contagious disease that is transmitted by direct contact between an infected person and a healthy person. Infection can also occur through contact with infected objects, such as clothes, bedding, and towels. Risk factors for contracting scabies include crowded living quarters, poor hygiene conditions, and close contact with sick people. Although the chance of staff at the Shavas getting infected from prisoners is minimal
