Scabies reported at Chinle Elementary School

WINDOW ROCK

Chinle Elementary School has reported a case of scabies.

The school gave letters, dated April 15, to their students to give to their parents.

“There has been a case of scabies within your child’s school and your child may have been exposed,” the school letter read.

One of those parents who received the letter is Henrietta Cooke. She said her daughter, a first grader at the school, brought home the letter.

Right away she felt concerned and upset because of what she read in the first sentence.

“The part that got me was where it said ‘my child may have been exposed,’” she said Tuesday.

She called the school and started asking questions about the case and said she was told the scabies case had yet to be confirmed. Another concern she also had was that not all parents with kids at the school got letters.

Cooke said she got on the internet as soon as she read the letter and found out as much as she could about it.

“It’s treatable but not comfortable,” she said she found out.

According to the letter, scabies is an infestation of the skin with a tiny mite smaller than a pinhead and that the mites burrow anywhere in the skin. Soon after, a person infected starts to scratch the infected area, which can last between two to eight weeks. The contagious infection is passed from person to person.

Cooke said she found out someone’s child was infected at one of the daycare centers and the child’s whole family had to be treated with a cream.

The Navajo Times reached out to the school district’s superintendent, Quincy Natay, and left a message. Natay has not yet called the Times.

Here is the information the school sent to parents:

What is scabies?

Scabies is an infestation of the skin with tiny mites smaller than a pinhead. The mites burrow anywhere in the skin, mostly on hands, and cannot be seen. The rash is caused by the body’s reaction to the mite and the scratching that occurs.

How could my child get scabies?

Anyone can get scabies. The mite passes from person to person through skin contact. Scabies is unlikely to be caught by short contact such as shaking hands. Longer contact is needed but could be as little as five to 10 minutes. Children playing together are especially likely to pass it from one person to the other. The itching may occur anytime from two to eight weeks after catching the mites, so mites can pass to someone else before the rash appears.

How will I know if my child has scabies?

if your child develops an itchy rash, take them to their doctor.

What should I do if my child has scabies?

It is best to see your doctor first to be sure that it is scabies. A variety of special lotions and creams that kill mites are available. It is important to follow the instructions that come with the lotion or care carefully. As spread within household is common, it is a good idea to treat all family members at the same time even if there are no symptoms.

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