We recently had a friend whose children contracted scabies which precipitated the question about the ability to transmit the skin parasite to the pets in the house and whether the pets would serve as a source of reinfection for their two-legged housemates.

The unsettling nature of scabies is that the infection is caused by a microscopic mite that burrows into the skin and lays eggs. This triggers a hypersensitivity reaction which results in itching and a rash in people. While there is some similarity between scabies in people and domestic animals, different species of mites infect people and pets and fortunately these mites like to stick to their preferred hosts.

Sarcoptic mange in pets arises from the species of mite called Sarcoptes Scabeii that infects many domestic and wild mammals.

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