Two early childhood education units in Itaporã had classes suspended for disinfection. In Dourados, 46 people were diagnosed with the disease in two public daycare centers.
By Débora Ricalde, g1 MS
Itaporã suspended two municipal daycare centers to contain the transmission of scabies. The action began this Thursday (12) after an outbreak with 46 infected people in neighboring Dourados.
In Dourados, classes at Ceim Recanto Raízes were suspended on Wednesday (11) indefinitely. The unit registered 24 children and 16 infected employees.
Another 6 cases occurred in Ceim Beatriz de Barros Bumlai. Surveillance pointed to reinfection at home as the main obstacle against the outbreak.
The activities of two municipal daycare centers in Itaporã were suspended to prevent the transmission of human scabies, also known as scabies. The measure comes after an outbreak of the disease affected 46 people in two daycare centers in Dourados, a neighboring city. The most recent suspension began this Thursday (12) and continues until Tuesday (17).
According to the City of Itaporã, classes at the Municipal Center for Early Childhood Education (CMEI) Maria Rodrigues Dias were suspended to disinfect the unit. At CMEI Milton Menani, activities were also interrupted, between the 6th and 13th of November. The municipality did not say whether there are infected children or employees.
In Dourados, one of the daycare centers is closed indefinitely after registering new cases of scabies and patients who contracted the disease again.
Outbreak in Dourados
In Dourados, 46 people were diagnosed with scabies in two municipal daycare centers. The majority of cases were registered at the Recanto Raízes Municipal Children's Education Center (Ceim), in Jardim Água Boa.
In the unit, 24 children and 16 employees were infected. Classes were suspended on Wednesday (11), indefinitely, to contain the transmission of the disease and allow the building to be disinfected.
According to the Municipal Department of Education, of the 40 infected people, 18 have already been cured and the rest are still undergoing treatment. In recent days, five new cases and six cases of reinfection have been recorded.
Classes at Recanto Raízes had already been suspended twice, for three days each. However, the measures were not enough to contain the outbreak.
The disease was also identified in Ceim Beatriz de Barros Bumlai, in BNH 4º Plano. Four employees and two children were diagnosed with scabies. Management adopted disinfection measures and removed infected professionals for treatment.
According to Dourados Epidemiological Surveillance, one of the main difficulties in controlling the outbreak is preventing people who have already been treated from contracting the disease again at home.
"The biggest problem is that some families do not receive the correct treatment and also do not decontaminate the environment where they live, causing the disease to continue circulating", explained Devanildo de Souza Santos, coordinator of the Dourados Epidemiological Surveillance Center.
The city hall informed that there is still no forecast for the resumption of classes at Recanto Raízes. The reopening will depend on an assessment by health bodies.
What is human scabies?
Human scabies, also called scabies, is a skin disease caused by a microscopic mite. Transmission occurs mainly through direct contact between people, which facilitates contagion in places such as daycare centers and schools.
Among the main symptoms are intense itching, especially at night, and small skin lesions. Signs may take two to six weeks to appear after first contact with the parasite.
According to the Municipal Health Department of Dourados, human scabies is not related to lack of hygiene.
To avoid new cases, the advice is to seek medical attention and follow the recommended treatment. Anyone who lives with infected people should also seek medical advice, even without showing symptoms.
It is also recommended to wash recently used clothes, towels and sheets. Objects that cannot be washed must be stored in closed plastic bags for at least 72 hours.
