What parasitic infestation is known to cause severe itching and can be found on the head, body, or pubic region?

Scabies is a parasitic infestation caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite, which burrows into the skin and leads to intense itching and discomfort. The itching is primarily a result of the body's allergic reaction to the mite's burrowing and its waste products. Scabies can affect various parts of the body, including the head, body, and pubic regions, making it quite distinctive among skin conditions. The characteristic spread of scabies often leads to clusters of itchy bumps or blisters, which can become secondary infections if scratched. Those who are infected can be easily identified by the pattern of intense itching, particularly at night, as well as the appearance of the telltale rash that often resembles small red bumps or sores.

Other conditions, such as warts, folliculitis, and tinea corporis, although they may cause discomfort, are not caused by the same type of parasite and do not lead to the same kind of distinctive severe itching associated with scabies. Warts are caused by viral infections, folliculitis is associated with bacterial infections of hair follicles, and tinea corporis is a fungal infection, which presents in a different manner compared to the itch associated with scabies.