NGOs working with migrants on the streets of Paris have warned that cases of scabies are on the rise, claiming there are well over a hundred cases so far.
The scabies skin infection is becoming more and more common amongst migrants living on the streets of the French capital. The infection, which is caused by mites and causes scabs and itching on the skin, has been seen 157 times by the reception centre at Porte De Le Chapelle since November 2016, L’Express reports.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) have also confirmed seeing 164 scabies infection cases since the end of December. They blame the squalid conditions in which the migrants live for the rapid spread of the infection.
The reception centre at Porte De Le Chapelle has tried to counter the trend by offering medical services to migrants which include showers, clean clothing, and new bedding, but the infection rate continues to rise.
The problem, according to pro-migrant groups, is that migrants wear the same clothing and move around a lot making treatment only partially effective. They say the only way to get rid of the problem entirely would be to permanently house migrants.
Whilst scabies itself is not life threatening, many health practitioners are concerned that left unchecked the infections could lead to complications including “superinfections” that are resistant to antibiotic treatment.
Last month, Breitbart London visited the Porte De Le Chapelle migrant camp and spoke to several migrants. Very few were from Syria or other parts of the Middle East, with most being from Africa and saying that they “blamed Europe” for their situation.
Several weeks later, the migrant camp was cleared by police, though many have since returned to the area.
Diseases have been rife in makeshift migrant camps along the various migrant routes. In Germany, doctors have found a resurgence in diseases like tuberculosis amongst migrants and are under strain dealing with infections and diseases that are common in the Middle East but relatively rare in Europe.
In Austria last year, a deadly bacterial infection was found amongst the migrants staying in a former luxury hotel that was converted into a migrant centre. The infection, spread by lice, can be fatal in 30-70 per cent of cases and forced the hotel to be placed under quarantine until the cases were resolved.
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