Nongprue health officials treated slum residents for skin diseases spread in crowded living conditions with scarce water.
Sunanta Kongnung, an officer with the Shelter Center of Pattaya, and Apinya Promvichien, a public health technical officer with the Tungkom-Tanman Health Center, treated 20 people – 10 of them children – who live in Maptaput village for both scabies and lice.
Scabies is a bacterial infection caused by contact with the Sarcoptes scabiei mite. Bites from as few as 10-15 mites can cause the ailment, which manifests itself as severe itching and a rash.
Apinya Promvichien, a public health technical officer with the Tungkom-Tanman Health Center, helps treat skin diseases for people and children living in local slum areas.
It is contagious, spread by close contact, crowded living conditions and insufficient access to water – all the conditions of slum living.
Lice also can spread quickly in close quarters.
The patients were treated with antibacterial creams and shampoo for seven days with follow-up visits scheduled.
