MORE than a dozen patients were diagnosed with scabies after visiting accident and emergency at the Royal Devon University Healthcare Trust last year, new figures suggest.
Experts blame poverty and falling vaccination rates for a surge in diseases such as measles, whooping cough and scabies across England.
NHS figures suggest around 15 patients were given a primary or secondary diagnosis of scabies after visiting A&E at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in the year to March. This was a slight rise from 10 a year earlier.
Scabies is a rash caused by tiny mites which burrow into the skin, which is usually treatable with a cream or lotion. It usually is not serious, but can be extremely itchy.
Cases of scabies rose by 66%, with 5,661 primary and secondary diagnoses across the UK.
Gwen Nightingale, assistant director of Healthy Lives at the Health Foundation, said poverty may impact the spread of these diseases.
She said: "Not having enough income to sustain a basic standard of living can have a negative impact on health, through factors like cold, damp homes or an inability to access healthy foods. The stress of living on a low income can also negatively impact health. The Government has a choice as to whether it wants to perpetuate the current numbers of families living in poverty."
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