Whether it’s a tickle of the nose, or an irritation in one’s hair, itches can be excruciating. Now scientists say they have found a common type of skin bacteria can trigger the sensation. Crucially, as such bacteria are commonly found on the skin of patients with eczema – or atopic dermatitis – the work helps explain why such conditions can be accompanied by the urge to scratch.

Prof Isaac Chiu, the senior author of the research at Harvard Medical School, said the study – which involved mice as well as human samples and nerve fibres – highlighted that the composition of microbes on our skin was important for our health.

“If we can find ways of inhibiting [itch], especially for patients with chronic itch diseases, that would maybe help improve the lives of these patients,” he added.

The study, published in the journal Cell, details how Chiu and colleagues unpicked the relationship between Staphylococcus aureus – often called staph – and atopic dermatitis, a common itchy skin disease that affects up to 20% of children and 10% of adults.

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