Can you catch scabies even if you are very clean?  Definitely!  Many people have the misconception that scabies is a result of poor hygiene.  However, it can spread in any place where people live in close proximity to each other.  Let’s take a look at how it spreads.

Scabies used to be considered a disease only afflicting people with poor hygiene.  This is because it often spread where people lived in close quarters, generally with exposed sewage and no good way to get clean.  However, dirt does not help scabies spread. Things are different in modern times.  We have access to running water, and many more tools to sanitize and keep things clean.  However, the mite stills spreads, especially in nursing homes and day care centers.

You see, the scabies mite does not spread because things are dirty.  It spreads because people live together and interact with each other on a regular basis.  In order to catch it, you need to be in extended contact with an infected person or a contaminated surface.  Since you often don’t know you’ve caught the mite for several weeks, it can infect everyone in the same household before you know it.  That is why it’s necessary to treat everyone at once.

Scabies spreads though extended personal contact.  You can’t catch it with just a handshake or a kiss.  You have to maintain contact with a person or infected surface or linens for at least a few minutes to allow the mite to travel onto your body. Without a human host, the mite lives for three days.  Eggs and larva can last even longer. You have to kill all stages of the mite to get rid of it for good.  Make sure to use your scabies treatment for the entire length of time for everyone in the household.  Also, kill the mite on surfaces using high heat or steam.