Chicago, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/02/2011 -- According to statistics, about 300 million people worldwide are infected with scabies, an uncomfortable, itchy and contagious skin infection that is caused by an extremely tiny eight-legged mite called Sarcoptes scabiei.

Scabies are nearly invisible to the naked eye, but the way in which they affect the skin is quite noticeable. Small red bumps and blisters will appear and spread across areas of the body; most commonly the knees, elbows, around the waist, and in the webbing of the fingers.

Once on the body, the mites will burrow into the skin, causing intense itching. People infected with scabies will often scratch themselves a lot, especially at night when the itching tends to be especially bad.

People infected with scabies often have a lot of questions about their condition: what caused it, how can it be treated, and can it happen to them again?

A recently-launched website devoted to everything and anything scabies-related is getting a lot of attention for its helpful and educational articles and level headed advice and tips on anything from what are scabies to signs and symptoms, causes, and treatments.

Scabies Web also includes magnified scabies pictures that will show visitors exactly what the minute critters look like up close.

Using the website is easy. The home page contains a lot of general information about scabies including basic facts about the mite, and some colorful photos of both scabies and what the rash may typically look like. It also explains how scabies is typically passed from person to person; for example, a mom hugging her child who has scabies may then develop them herself.

Across the top of the home page are tabs that will take readers to more intensive topics such as causes, symptoms, treatments, and prevention. A frequently-asked-questions section offers quick answers on some common scabies-related questions, and a “blog” tab takes visitors to interesting stories about scabies, including natural ways to treat them.

“It may take a while for a person to notice that they have a scabies infection,” it stated in a blog article titled “How Do You Know If You Have Scabies and What Do You Do About It?”

“When a person contracts scabies and has a population of Sarcoptes scabiei mites living in their skin, a rash does not occur right away because it takes a few weeks for the immune system to produce an allergic response to the presence of the scabies mite.”

For more information on Scabies Web, please visit http://www.scabiesweb.org