Contagious skin infection caused by a tiny mite burrowing into the skin, causing intense itching and a rash that may look like burrow tracks.

• A. Lice Infestation
• B. Mite Infestation
• C. Bedbug Infestation
• D. Scabies

Answer: (D)

The description points to scabies. A tiny mite, Sarcoptes scabiei, burrows under the skin and creates serpentine burrows, which together with intense itching—often worse at night—produces the characteristic rash. The burrow tracks are a hallmark feature of scabies, reflecting the mites tunneling through the stratum corneum and laying eggs. This pattern is distinct from other skin infestations: lice affect hair and skin with itching but don’t form skin burrows; bedbugs cause bites but not burrows in the skin; a general “mite infestation” lacks the specific burrowing tracks and distribution seen with scabies. So the combination of burrows in the skin and severe nocturnal itching correctly identifies scabies.