Overview
This is a photomicrograph of scabies feces in skin scrapings. This material is thought to cause an allergic-type reaction which may be responsible for the intense itching. The itching may persist long after the scabies mites are killed because the dead eggs and mite feces remain in the skin.
Review Date 10/11/2023
Updated by: Elika Hoss, MD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.