Scabies outbreak at Deer Lodge Centre affects 8 people

Manitoba's largest rehabilitation centre and long-term care facility is dealing with a scabies outbreak.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority confirmed there are eight cases of scabies at Deer Lodge Centre on Portage Avenue. There are no cases among staff, and families and residents have been told about it, spokesperson Paul Turenne wrote in an email.

The outbreak was declared May 14, andinfection prevention and control measures were enacted May 15, the email said.

An outbreak is defined as two or more cases within a facility.

Scabies is a contagious skin condition caused by tiny insects that crawl under the skin and lay eggs.

Prevention measures include limiting the number of visitors, handwashing requirements, protective wear, including gowns and gloves, and disinfecting medical equipment, Turenne wrote.

"There is no risk to the general public who are not in contact with affected residents," he wrote.

Deer Lodge is a 429-bed facility founded for returning First World War soldiers in 1916, and transitioned from a federal facility to a provincial one in 1983.