An outbreak of contagious skin disease, suspected to be scabies, is spreading rapidly through several communities in the North East Region.

The highly contagious skin infection is already thought to have affected over 200 poor families in more than 10 rural villages across the poorly-resourced region, JoyNews' correspondent, Eliasu Tanko, reports from the area.

“The outbreak which started from a cut-off village of Dabgre-Bauri in the East Mamprusi municipality has now reached other far villages in the Bunkprugu and Yunyoo districts. 

“There are also reports of the infection from the regional capital, Nalerigu,” the reporter added.

Scabies

Scabies is a contagious skin disease marked by small raised red spots that itch severely.

Scabies infections come from the human itch mite.

The microscopic human itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis) burrows into the upper layer of a person's skin, where it lives and lays two to three eggs each day.