Question

Scabies, an infection of the skin caused by Sarcoptes scabiei, is an example of:

• A. Water borne disease
• B. Water washed disease
• C. Water based disease
• D. Water related disease

Hint:

Think about which water category depends on hygiene and washing, not water quality.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks us to place scabies, a skin infection caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, into the correct category of White's classification of water related diseases.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
White's classification splits water related diseases into four groups: water borne (spread by drinking contaminated water, like cholera or typhoid), water washed (spread when there is not enough water for washing and personal hygiene), water based (need an aquatic host for part of their life cycle, like guinea worm), and water related insect vector diseases (spread by insects that breed near water, like malaria and filaria).

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Scabies is caused by a mite that burrows into the skin and spreads by close skin contact and shared clothing or bedding. It is not caused by drinking dirty water, so it is not water borne. It does not need an aquatic host, so it is not water based. It is not spread by a water breeding insect, so it is not water related. What actually drives scabies spread is poor personal hygiene, crowding, and infrequent bathing, which happen when water is scarce or hard to access.
This is exactly the definition of a water washed disease: illness that becomes common when people cannot wash themselves or their clothes often enough because of limited water supply, not because the water itself is dirty. Other water washed conditions include skin infections, scabies, lice, and some eye infections like trachoma.

Step 4: Final Answer:
Scabies is a water washed disease because it spreads due to lack of water for washing and hygiene, not through contaminated water or a water dwelling host.