Scabies

My 7-year-old son was loosely diagnosed with scabies. I went in for a physical for him and decided to show the doctor the "bug bites" on his feet. We just recently moved into a new place and have been here for 2 weeks now. There are many bugs in this community, (wasps, spiders, flies, etc...). I assumed bugs were biting them in this new place because I noticed these bug bites 2 to 3 days after arriving here and where we came from we did not have bugs. The doctor said he had scabies. He said he could not see the tracks/burrows, but that they were scabies. He took a skin sample and put it on a slide and tried to find the bug, feces, etc... He found nothing. My husband and I do not have any signs and symptoms whatsoever. My daughter and my son both have these "bug bites", but it's ONLY on their feet and there are no tracks/burrows. We noticed this in my daughter first and she has slept with us ever since thinking there was a bug in her room. My kids literally have NO contact with other kids. I don't let them play outside whatsoever. There are too many spiders in the back yard that is fenced in and so my kids don't play in the dirt and grass at all. They are never in day cares either. It's just our family. This same doctor claimed that scabies came from the dirt. The "dirt" that my kids are never exposed too! He even said that you can catch just by shaking someones hand. I guess not impossible, but not likely. He claimed that there had been an epidemic of scabies in our area. If there was an epidemic of scabies going around then wouldn't he know exactly what to prescribe? He literally looked up online right in front of me the medication used for scabies and said he was embarrassed that he was having to do it. Oh, my kids are NOT itching uncontrollably either! My daughters "bug bites" are already healing on their own. I have not given her nor my son any medication whatsoever. To get to my question now, does this sound like scabies?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms that you have described, it is less likely to be scabies. Scabies is an infestation by the itch mite. Scabies produces small red bumps and blisters and affects specific areas of the body. Scabies may involve the webs between the fingers, the wrists or other folds of body and is contagious and effects other family members also which is not present in your case

The itching is intense and subsequently all family members have it. Si it can be due to bug bites but the diagnosis needs to be confirmed after examination from a dermatologist.
It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing