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13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 JANUARY 2026 NEWS Scabies cases surged in 2023 A significant increase in scabies, a skin infection caused by mites, was recorded three years ago, da- ta tabled in parliament by Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela shows. In 2023, the incidence rate for scabies was 58.57 per 100,000 people, a significant increase when compared to the previous three years. Abela was replying to a parlia- mentary question by Nationalist MP Ian Vassallo Hagi, who asked for the incidence rate of scabies between 2020 and 2025. The data shows that last year the incidence rate stood at 24.02, almost half the peak reached in 2023 but still a 55% increase over the incidence rate recorded five years earlier. The lowest inci- dence rate for scabies was in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandem- ic, when 10.77 cases per 100,000 people were recorded. Scabies is caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin and lay eggs, causing intense itching and a rash. Left untreated it can lead to skin sores and serious compli- cations like septicaemia (a blood- stream infection), heart disease and kidney problems. Treatment normally consists of creams or oral medications. According to information sourced from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Scabies is contagious and spreads through close skin contact such as living in the same residence with an infest- ed individual. Given the conta- gious nature of the disease, when- ever a case of scabies is diagnosed, people living with the infected person are normally treated as well even if they do not exhibit symptoms. WHO estimates that at least 200 million people worldwide suffer from scabies at any one time and an estimated 5%–50% of children in resource-poor areas are affect- ed. Scabies occurs worldwide but is most common in hot, tropical countries and in areas of high population density. Symptoms of scabies usually be- gin between four and six weeks after infestation. Symptoms in- clude: Severe itch, often worse at night; itchy lines and bumps on the fingers, wrists, arms, legs and belt area; enflamed bumps on male genitalia and female breasts; and larger rash in infants and small children, including on the palms, soles of the feet, ankles and scalp. Most individuals are infected with 10–15 mites. Additionally, people with sup- pressed immune systems, includ- ing people living with HIV, may develop crusted (Norwegian) scabies. This severe infection can have thousands or millions of mites and causes dry, scaley areas on the skin. It often does not cause itch. Crusted scabies spreads very easily and can cause secondary in- fections and is life threatening. The increase in scabies cases in Malta appears to mimic the trend in Europe where a rise in cases has been observed in recent years. The rise in scabies throughout Europe has been attributed to travel and mass migration of peo- ple from regions with high scabies prevalence. However, a recent epidemio- logical study in the Netherlands found that only eight of 55 sca- bies cases were contracted abroad or from travellers, suggesting that most transmission occurs through domestic networks. In- deed, the resurgence of scabies in the Netherlands is concentrated predominantly among adoles- cents and young adults, particu- larly university students living in communal housing. KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt A baby suffering from scabies in Tanzania (Photo: N. Lufanga/WHO) Year 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Incidence rate 15.5 10.77 23.98 58.57 35.52 24.02 Scabies in Malta Note: Incidence rate is expressed per 100,000 people Heritage watchdog clears way for db Group's pool instead of boathouse THE Superintendence for Cul- tural Heritage (SCH) has given the green light for the develop- ment of a 292sq.m pool area in St George's Bay instead of a di- lapidated boathouse. The boathouse, visible on the 1897 Ordnance Survey, was used to service small military vessels, according to a 1926 military plan. The site is his- torically part of the St George's Barracks complex, scheduled at Grade 2 by the Planning Au- thority. In December 2025, the SCH's initial representation raised concerns over the absence of interior photographs and oth- er documentation, noting that the boathouse might contain architectural features worthy of preservation. At that stage, the authority reserved its com- ments pending further evi- dence. However, after the applicant submitted condition reports and interior images, the SCH and the Cultural Heritage Ad- visory Committee (CHAC) re- assessed the application, noting that the boathouse had suffered severe erosion, dilapidation and unsympathetic alterations over time, compromising any cultural heritage value. The SCH therefore concluded that preservation is not war- ranted and that the authority "does not object to the pro- posed demolition or to this application." The condition reports mentioned by the SCH have not been uploaded to the Planning Authority's public in- formation website. The clearance paves the way for db Group to demolish the boathouse and construct a pool and deck along this stretch of public coastline. The Lands Authority had previously is- sued a procedural clearance, allowing the application to pro- gress through the Planning Au- thority. This clearance, howev- er, does not grant any rights of ownership over public land. Critics have expressed con- cern about the potential loss of cultural heritage, encroach- ment on the public foreshore, and the broader pressures of coastal development in Malta's densely built seaside communi- ties. Political party Momentum has also lodged a Freedom of In- formation request to examine Lands Authority procedures and ensure transparency. The proposal forms part of a wider development by db Group at St George's Bay. The original project, which includes a 12-storey hotel and two 17-storey towers, was approved by the Planning Authority in 2021. In December 2025, the authority approved a further revision allowing an addition- al seven storeys on each of the two towers. The boathouse application now awaits final approval from the Planning Authority. Reporting James Debono The boathouse dates back to 19th century