Wollongong scabies outbreak hits four hospitals

Four major NSW hospitals have been hit with an outbreak of scabies – a highly infectious skin condition caused by parasitic mites which burrow underneath a patient’s skin.

On Monday, NSW Health said 23 staff and 11 patients had been diagnosed with scabies across a “number of wards” at Wollongong, Coledale, Shellharbour and Bulli hospitals in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD).

ISLHD executive director of medical services Karen Murphy called on patients who had been discharged from the hospital since mid-May to monitor for symptoms.

People who develop an itchy rash, which is most commonly found between the fingers, and in skin folds, are urged to visit their GP.

“While scabies is usually treated effectively with no long-term complications, the condition can be unpleasant and requires treatment to kill the infestation,” she said.

The health district’s chief executive Margot Mains likened the condition to head lice, and said it was a “common and very treatable condition”.

Discomfort from the itchy rashes can be controlled through the application of creams, and lotions.

However Ms Mains said scabies can be “difficult to contain” in hospital settings, and in areas with a “high transit level of staff between wards,” with the parasite spreading through close skin-to-skin contact.

“Because scabies has an incubation period of up to six to eight weeks, is easily transmitted and can have minimal symptoms initially, there may be undetected cases within our facilities and community,” she said.

“To prevent the risk of further transmission, the district will provide preventative treatment for all current inpatients and staff across all our hospital sites and services,” she said.

The first cases linked to the outbreak was confirmed at the major Wollongong Hospital in late July, and NSW Health said “immediate” actions were taken to limit transmission.

The district says it has taken “a thorough and extensive” transmission tracing processes and is contacting staff and patients who may have been impacted, or are at a high risk of developing symptoms.