Scabies is caught primarily through prolonged, direct skin-to-skin contact with a person who has scabies, typically lasting longer than 15-20 minutes. This can happen during intimate contact, caring for someone with scabies, or sharing a bed. Less commonly, scabies can also be transmitted by sharing clothing, towels, or bedding used by an infected person. It is not contagious through brief contact like a handshake and cannot be caught from pets since the mites that cause scabies in animals do not survive on humans. High-risk situations include living or working closely in environments like nursing homes, shelters, or prisons, and having multiple sexual partners. There is no vaccine or medication to prevent scabies, so avoiding prolonged skin contact with infected persons and not sharing personal items are key preventive measures.
