Swansea's Morriston Hospital restricts visitors over scabies cases, the THIRD Welsh hospital to be hit since July

Swansea Bay University Health Board confirmed a small number of scabies cases at Morriston Hospital, imposing visiting restrictions and alerting families, staff and patients to seek pharmacy or GP advice if they develop symptoms. The parasitic skin infection causes an intensely itchy rash from microscopic mites burrowing under the skin.

Morriston is the latest Welsh site hit — Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli was struck last month and Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen suffered a rarer crusted scabies outbreak in July.

Crusted scabies, which hit the Glangwili ward, is described as a highly contagious form of the infestation.

Consultant dermatologist Dr Firas Al-Niaimi warned scabies 'spreads very quickly, so it needs to be caught early to limit infections.'