A domestic disturbance behind an apartment building at 8th and Chillicothe ended with a man headed to jail on a Pike County warrant — and one detail nobody at the scene was probably thrilled to hear.
Both people involved reportedly had scabies.
Portsmouth police were called shortly after 10 a.m. Monday after a man and woman were reported fighting behind the building.
Officers arrived within minutes, detained the man, and spoke separately with the woman.
A records check then showed the man had an active warrant out of Pike County.
Pike County officials told Portsmouth officers to take him to the Scioto County Jail and said they would fax over the warrant.
The woman’s phone was returned to her, and officers gathered information for the report and booking.
Then dispatch added one more note to the call:
The man and woman involved had scabies.
So, What Exactly Is Scabies?
Scabies is a contagious skin infestation caused by tiny mites that burrow into the upper layer of the skin.
It commonly causes intense itching and a rash, especially at night.
It usually spreads through prolonged skin-to-skin contact, although bedding, clothing, and towels can also sometimes help spread it.
The good news is that scabies is treatable with prescription medication.
The less-good news for anyone processing an arrest is that close physical contact is exactly the sort of thing officers, medics, and jail staff sometimes cannot avoid.
The available police log does not list any new domestic violence charge from the disturbance itself.
So the call ended with one warrant arrest, one domestic dispute — and a very unwelcome contagious footnote.