Doctors warn of surge in medieval disease as schools report several cases

The skin infection has been reported in several schools in Devon, with the number of people seeking medical care doubling since 2022 as doctors urge early treatment

A disease once rampant in the Middle Ages is causing a dramatic health scare across the UK, with a surge in highly contagious skin infections hitting multiple schools in Devon.

Scabies is a skin infection caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite, with symptoms typically beginning with an intensely itchy rash caused by tiny mites burrowing under the skin. It spreads through prolonged close skin-to-skin contact and can be easily misdiagnosed as eczema or other rashes.

Recent reports from South Devon College in Torbay confirmed seven cases of scabies among students. However, official sources state that no schools in Devon hav