University bosses were forced to shut the studios and deep clean the department – just days ahead of Christmas deadlines.
Fashion students at one of London’s most iconic universities have been given the itch after a roll of fabric containing scabies spread the illness around campus.
Suited and booted undergraduates at Central Saint Martins in north London were told the itchy biters had infested their studios and fabric store.
CSM university bosses were forced to shut the studios and deep clean the department – just days ahead of Christmas deadlines.
Famous alumni at the prestigious arts university include designer Alexander McQueen, singer Paloma Faith, and Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker.
Scores of students were then forced to change design plans just days ahead of the annual ‘White Show’ which is one of the biggest events of the year.
One student told Metro.co.uk: ‘It was madness, there were so many students who had deadlines at one of the busiest times of the year.
To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro.co.uk's London news hub.
‘People were so nervous because they had been sitting in the studios all day without knowing that they could have contracted something.
‘There were also rumours flying around about who had it and who might have had it.’
They added: ‘It all came from a long roll of fabric that one of the students brought in. Nobody knows who it was that brought it in, or if they even knew it what was on it.’
In an email sent to students, they were told at least four studios had to be closed over the weekend at the end of November, after getting in teams to ‘deep clean’ the rooms.
It also advised undergrads on the symptoms of scabies and said anyone who had a rash or spots should visit a doctor.
Scabies is an itchy rash caused by mites and is spread through close skin contact. Symptoms include intense itching, especially at night, and a raised rash or spots.
The university has confirmed there were at least two cases of the illness, that have now been treated by medical staff at the college.
During Covid in 2019, there was an outbreak of scabies at Oxford University meaning staff had to send out a warning to students to stay away from each other.
Scabies is an itchy rash caused by mites. It’s spread through close skin contact, and anyone can get it. It should be treated quickly to stop it spreading.
The spots may look red. They are more difficult to see on brown or black skin, but you should be able to feel them.
The scabies rash usually spreads across the whole body, apart from the head and neck. It often affects the skin between the fingers, around the wrists, under the arms, and around the waist, groin, and bottom.
However, older people and young children may develop a rash on their head, neck, palms, and soles of their feet.
People with a weakened immune system can sometimes get a rare and very contagious type of scabies, called crusted scabies. The main symptom is a crusted, flaky rash that often affects the elbows, knees, hands, and feet.
Scabies is not usually a serious condition, but it does need to be treated.
A pharmacist will recommend a cream or lotion that you apply over your whole body. It’s important to read the instructions carefully.
Let the pharmacist know if you’re breastfeeding or pregnant.
You’ll need to repeat the treatment 1 week later.
Scabies is very infectious, but it can take up to 8 weeks for the rash to appear.
Everyone in your home needs to be treated at the same time, even if they do not have symptoms. But do not use pharmacy treatments on children under 2 years old, they will need to see a GP.
Anyone you’ve had sexual contact with in the past 8 weeks should also be treated.
If you or someone in your family has scabies there are things you can do to reduce the risk of it spreading.
You or your child can go back to work or school 24 hours after the first treatment.
Although the treatment kills the scabies mites quickly, the itching can carry on for a few weeks.
Scabies spreads through close skin contact, including sexual contact. You cannot get scabies from pets.
People who live or work closely together in nurseries, university halls of residence or nursing homes are more at risk.
Anyone can get scabies. It has nothing to do with poor hygiene.
Scratching the rash can cause skin infections like impetigo.
Scabies can make conditions like eczema or psoriasis worse.
(Source: NHS England)
A UAL spokesperson said: ‘Scabies, a common health condition amongst student populations, is challenging to trace to a specific source and generally spreads through prolonged skin-to-skin contact.
‘UAL’s student health team received two reported cases approximately four weeks ago and offered immediate healthcare advice and information on treatment.
‘UAL prioritises the health and wellbeing of our students and has a dedicated student health team who can respond swiftly in line with our rigorous health and safety policies.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE : Iconic London bar served caustic soda with tequila shots instead of salt
MORE : Christmas bin collection times in every London borough – check yours now
