College Contagions: Scabies Outbreak at Harvard's Pennypacker Hall

As if there weren't enough icky skin problems that can be spread via the questionable hygiene practices of college students! Ivy Gate tipped us off that some Harvard students are suffering from an attack of scabies.

A university memo states, "Today, three students from Pennypacker were diagnosed with scabies after presenting to University Health Services with an itchy rash." Once UHS determined that the "itchy rash" wasn't caused by the usual suspects, they went into action because the symptoms of scabies sound positively disgusting.

Scabies are caused by mites that burrow into the flesh and cause a rash that appears, according to one of the helpful Harvard memos to students, "on the hands, between the fingers, or in a crease of the wrist." Scabies can also turn up on "the nipples, waistline, and male genital area." Ugh. No wonder Ivy Gate calls it a "mood-killer." Now anyone considering having clothing-optional fun with a Harvard student will think twice.

Not that Pennypacker Hall residents would be in the mood, anyway. The residents are required to apply insecticide cream for at least eight hours, and all their stuff is getting fumigated.

If you are a Harvard student or have been hanging around Harvard students, you might want to check out what the CDC has to say about scabies. And you can see all the pictures of understandably bummed, soon-to-be-medicinal-smelling Harvard freshman at IvyGate.

Image of the usual Harvard logo. And whatever you do, do not search for "scabies" in the Google Image Search. Yuck.