The South Eastern Health Board has confirmed patients and staff at a geriatric hospital in New Ross, Co Wexford are being treated for an outbreak of scabies.
A spokeswoman said the outbreak had been confined to a small area in the New Houghton Hospital and that a team was working to eliminate the problem under guidance from the board’s infection control team.
Scabies is an itchy condition of the skin caused by a tiny mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) and is highly infectious.
The areas of the skin most affected include the webs and sides of the fingers, and around the wrists, elbows and armpits.
Letters have been sent to relatives of those affected advising them to contact their doctors to see if they have picked up the infection.
Symptoms can appear from two to six weeks in people who have not previously been exposed to scabies infestations.