Scabies: Doctors warn people not to ignore rash

Another student told us he had been trying to get rid of it for “two to three months”. When we asked how he thought he had caught it he said: “Probably a lot of sleeping together”.

Prof Hawthorne said: “We recognise that patients may be apprehensive to seek treatment given the social stigma that surrounds the condition, but it is important that they don’t ignore their symptoms as this could lead to them getting worse and risks transmitting the condition to other people.”

Everyone infected needs to be treated at the same time with a cream or lotion from the pharmacy, doctors say.

Patients are also advised to wash their bedding and clothes on a high temperature.

Dr Alison George, a GP in the north of England who works in an emergency department, said many students come straight to A&E, but only after the disease has become worse.

“It can be really nasty. It is then really difficult to treat if you’ve got a really large area of the body covered in it.”