People are being warned of what to look for as cases of a Victorian diseaseare on the rise. Doctors recorded nearly 900 people with it across the UK just last week, around 20% more than this time last year according to the Royal College of General Practitioners' Research and Surveillance Centre.

Scabies is ahighly infectiousdisease which is spread through close skin contact.This means if one person becomes infected their entire householdcould be at risk. The tell-tale sign is a rash that spreads across the whole body, apart from the head and neck in most cases - however, it can take up to eight weeks for the rash to appear.

It causes intense itching which will be especially noticeable at night. The rash will often by raised and red, most commonly affecting the fingers, wrists, under the arms, around the waist, groin and bottom according to the NHS. Young children and elderly people may develop rashes on their head, neck, palms and even soles of their feet too.

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While scabies is generally not a serious condition, people with weakened immune systems can contract a more rare form known as crusted scabies. This will caused a crusted, flaky rash often on the elbows, knees, hands and feet.

It’s caused by mites that burrow into a person’s skin to reproduce. These parasites and their eggs can also survive in bedding and towels.

Many types of conditions and illness can cause rashes that seem similar to scabies. However one telltale indicator is lines in the skin with a dot at one end showing where the tiny mites have laid their eggs.

People who think they may have scabies should see a pharmacist as they can recommend treatments for it. This is usually in the form of a cream or lotion that must be applied to your entire body, including your scalp and face.

This treatment will need to repeated after seven days. Everyone in your home needs to be treated at the same time, even if they do not have symptoms, the NHS warned. Children under the age of two with scabies symptoms will need to see a GP.

If you or someone in your home has scabies it’s best to wash all bedding and clothing in the house at 60C or higher, and if possible in a hot dryer, on the first day of treatment to kill any mites that may be hiding in the fabrics. Any clothing that can’t be washed can be put in a sealed bag for around three days which should be long enough for the mites to die.

The highly infectious disease has been documented as far back as 2,500 years ago. It became a common ailment in the Victorian era due to societal conditions like overcrowding and poor hygiene.

It was only in the mid-1800s that it was proven to be caused by an itch mite. Before this, theories claimed it was a sexually transmitted disease.