Glangwili Hospital ward closed after crusted scabies outbreak

A hospital ward has been closed following an outbreak of crusted scabies, a rare and highly contagious form of the illness.

Hywel Dda health board said Steffan Ward at Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen, would be closed while the outbreak was managed “in line with established infection prevention and control procedures”.

The health board said all patients and staff identified as contacts had been informed and offered treatment, including those that do not have symptoms.

Crusted scabies, previously known as Norwegian scabies, causes a “scaly rash and thickened crusts of skin, external” containing thousands of mites, and can be due to reduced immunity, although that is not always the case.

Hywel Dda health board said extra infection prevention and control measures had been put in place on the ward, including “enhanced monitoring, treatment of identified contacts and ongoing support from specialist teams”.

It said there was a rise in scabies in the area it oversees – in Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion – which was contributing to hospital outbreaks.

“The situation will be kept under review, and the ward will reopen in line with infection prevention and control guidance when it is safe to do so,” it added.