Dr. Mohamed bin Ahmed Qarout, assistant professor of public health at the Department of Community Medicine and Pilgrims Health Care, UQU's Medicine College, said that persons suffering from scabies can return to their schools or work on the day following to their treatment. The incubation period of scabies ranges between 14 to 24 days, and it may reach 2 months. The infected person can transmit the infection even if he has no symptoms of the disease.

This was during the seminar "Scabies: Facts and Illusions", run by Dr. Ayman Johargy, dean of UQU College of Nursing, and was organized by the Institute of Research and Consultation Studies at Umm Al-Qura University, represented by the Unit of Continuing Medical Training and Education as well as the Centre for Safety, Risk and Crisis Management (SAFE), in association with UQU's medical colleges. It was organized at the supporting hall of King Abdelaziz Historical Hall in Al-Abediya University City, within the awareness campaign launched by UQU President, Dr. Abdullah bin Omar Bafeel, under the slogan of "Prevention & Safety without Epidemic".

Dr. Qarout pointed out that human scabies is one of the infectious skin diseases. It is known for its severe itching caused by a type of parasites called sarcoptes scabiei; it is a small parasite that cannot be seen by the naked eye. Moreover, it is about a third of a millimeter, and belongs to the insects of the spider species. The sarcoptes scabiei starts building its nest by digging a trench or a small cave at length of 2 millimeters in the corneal layer on the surface of the skin; where it puts about 200 eggs a day. He stressed that the scabies parasite can live outside the human body for between 48 - 72 hours.

The professor elaborated that the scabies is one of the most common diseases all over the world. The annual number of infected people ranges from 150 to 300 million patients. It affects all races and social classes, and spreads easily in conditions of overcrowding and in schools, nursing homes and extended care facilities.

Thereafter, Dr. Reda Abdulmatti Jweideh, professor of Community Medicine and Health Care for the Pilgrims in the College of Medicine, cited in the paper, he presented, by a series of pictures of scabies and its side effects on the body, mentioning that it is a severe itching and increases at night, and it is often caused by contact with a patient. He also mentioned that the side effects on children cause them to cry continuously. Scabies is a skin rash that spreads between the fingers and on wrist, elbow, armpit, abdomen, chest, waist, genitals and knees and it can be seen; while the side effects of children can be seen in the head, feet and hands. Not following the prescriptions is the main reasons for the failure of treatment.

In his turn, Dr. Raafat Abdel-Moneim, professor of medical diagnostic parasites at the College of Applied Medical Sciences, talked about the history of scabies, mentioning that it was known about 2500 years ago; whereas the ancient Romans treated it by an ornament composed of sulfur in a liquid of bitumen and called tar. Also, he explained that the diagnosis of scabies in laboratories is done in the traditional way, which is examining it under the microscope or the modern method of molecular biology.