Scabies outbreak at Prince Philip hospital closes wards

A Welsh hospital has restricted visitors and closed two wards following an outbreak of scabies.

Hywel Dda health board said the wards at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, were currently closed “due to infection”, with restrictions on visitors put in place on Sunday to limit the spread.

Scabies is a highly contagious skin infestation caused by microscopic mites that burrow under the skin and spread through close skin contact, according to the NHS, external.

The health board said a number of cases were being managed in healthcare and community settings across its area – which covers Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire – but the risk to the wider public remained low.

Scabies is a common skin condition and can affect people of all ages.

It causes itching, especially at night, as well as a raised rash or spots which usually spread across the whole body.

Unlike bed bugs, scabies mites are not visible to the human eye and they are also not caused by poor hygiene.