Having an itch that won't go away is annoying. Scientists have worked for many years to find out why we itch. Researchers in the USA have found that bacteria in our skin make us itch. The lead researcher said the bacteria are linked to many diseases that cause itchiness. The most common of these is eczema. A researcher wrote: "Many patients carry on their skin the very microbe we've now shown for the first time can cause itching." She added that itches can be very tiring for people who have long-term skin problems.

The researchers conducted their research on mice. They found a kind of protein was responsible for itching in the test mice. The protein made the mice itch. The researchers changed the protein and made a drug to stop it making the mice itch. This drug could help to make anti-itch drugs for humans. This is good news for the 245 million eczema sufferers around the world. Eczema sufferers get itchiness, redness on the skin, and rashes. They can also get small blisters on their skin. Eczema is twice as common in females as it is in males.