Students at Selwyn College have been sent an email warning them of an outbreak of scabies at the college.

The email, sent on Wednesday evening (25/01), told students that the college is “managing the situation” and assured them that “whilst unpleasant and contagious, it is not a serious or life-threatening condition”.

Scabies is a skin condition caused by small parasitic mites, which causes an itchy red skin rash. It is contagious, and is transferred from person to person by prolonged direct skin contact with the infected person. While uncommon, it can also be spread through contact with items such as clothing, bedding or towels that have been used by someone with scabies.

The NHS website notes that “people who live or work closely together in nurseries, university halls of residence or nursing homes are more at risk" of getting scabies while also stressing that "it has nothing to do with poor hygiene".

The college said that they are liaising with both the University Communicable Diseases Helpdesk and the UK Health Security Agency.

In an attempt to control the outbreak, the college told students that the laundry services in Cripps Court will be reserved for members of college who have received direct contact from the College Nurse. All other members were asked to use a separate laundry service.

When approached for comment, Selwyn JCR told Varsity that it is “confident that the College is taking the necessary precautions to isolate the few cases that have been formally diagnosed”.

In a statement, the College said that while there have been “a small number of cases of scabies reported at Selwyn”, the students concerned are “receiving treatment for the symptoms, along with support from the college nurse.” They said that they had “taken action to prevent any further spread as recommended by the national guidelines.”