The number of patients may not be complete. “Since 2008, there has been no obligation to report if you have scabies in the Netherlands,” explains a spokesperson for the National Institute of Mental Health (RIVM). This means that doctors are not obligated to report cases of scabies and contacts of patients. This is only the case with scabies, which is an acute form of the mite.
This makes it difficult to prevent scabies from spreading again. This is one reason the number of people with the skin condition continues to fluctuate.
It is difficult to determine the exact cause of the current increase. Medication shortages and treatment costs may play a role. Although the health insurance reimburses for the anti-scabies medication, the costs are deducted first from the deductible. That’s a lot of money for some people.