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Actas Dermo-sifiliograficas Jan 2024Several studies support the hypothesis that scabies is on the rise in Spain. There are also concerns about the possible development of resistance to treatment and an... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of Patients Being Treated for Scabies in Spain: Opportunities for Improvement - A Multicenter Cross-Sectional CLINI-AEDV Study.
BACKGROUND
Several studies support the hypothesis that scabies is on the rise in Spain. There are also concerns about the possible development of resistance to treatment and an increase in atypical presentations. The aims of this study were to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with scabies seen by dermatologists in Spain, to identify the possible emergence of atypical forms of scabies, and to explore the frequency of treatment failures and associated risk factors.
METHODS
We conducted an observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study of data collected prospectively in April and May 2023 using the CLINI-AEDVp platform created by the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV).
RESULTS
Participating dermatologists from 31 hospitals in 15 of Spain's autonomous communities recorded 186 cases of active scabies (51% in women) during the study period. A diagnostic certainty level of A, B or C as per the International Alliance for the Control of Scabies Consensus Criteria was required for diagnosis. Overall, 92% of patients had typical scabies and 66% had already been treated with a scabicide for the current episode. Of the treated patients, only 36% had received and completed adequate treatment (including the simultaneous treatment of all household members) and 50% had not received clear written recommendations.
CONCLUSIONS
In a high proportion of the cases of scabies studied, the patient had already received treatment. In those cases, we observed several remediable shortcomings that could explain why some of these treatments had failed. Remedying these deficiencies should lead to better control of scabies and an improved assessment of the actual effectiveness of currently available scabicides.
Topics: Humans; Female; Scabies; Spain; Cross-Sectional Studies; Treatment Failure; Academies and Institutes
PubMed: 37678633
DOI: 10.1016/j.ad.2023.08.006 -
Annals of African Medicine 2020The aim of this study was to educate secondary school students on etiology, risk factors, clinical features, treatment, and prevention of scabies; to evaluate their...
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to educate secondary school students on etiology, risk factors, clinical features, treatment, and prevention of scabies; to evaluate their knowledge base on scabies before and after an educational intervention; and to reassess this knowledge base and behavioral change, 6 months after, on a second visit.
METHODS
Questionnaires with standard questions on scabies, graded to a maximum score of 10, were administered to students in junior secondary Classes 1 and 2 across 4 states in Nigeria. Information obtained included subjects' demographics, scabies symptomatology, risks, and preventive behaviors. Students with active scabies were diagnosed and treated. Data were analyzed with STATA.
RESULTS
The mean test scores for the pretest and posttest at first visit were 2.82 ± 1.38 and 6.30 ± 1.09, respectively. This difference was statistically significant at t = 3.95, P = 0.004. Six months later, when the same schools were re-visited, the mean test scores for the pretest and posttest were 4.63 ± 0.54 and 5.87 ± 0.25, respectively. This difference was also significant at t = 4.13, P = 0.003. The prevalence of scabies was 3.5% at first visit and 4.34% at second visit; t = 0.24, P = 0.41.
CONCLUSIONS
Secondary school students lack basic education on scabies and exhibit high-risk behaviors for scabies transmission. Knowledge on scabies needs constant reinforcement.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Health Education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Male; Nigeria; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Risk-Taking; Scabies; Schools; Socioeconomic Factors; Students; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 33243950
DOI: 10.4103/aam.aam_67_19 -
Lakartidningen Nov 2017In case of pruritus, always consider scabies! Scabies is an itching skin disease caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei which affects more than 100 million people... (Review)
Review
In case of pruritus, always consider scabies! Scabies is an itching skin disease caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei which affects more than 100 million people worldwide. Regarded as a neglected tropical disease by the WHO, it is a major public health burden in endemic areas. As direct skin-to-skin contact is the main route of transmission family members and sexual partners are often affected. Typical presentation includes a severely pruritic rash with predilection for the extremities and the trunk. Definitive diagnosis relies on microscopic identification of the mites. Future, more efficient, diagnostic methods may include serological testing or PCR for S. scabiei DNA. A benzyl benzoate and disulfiram based lotion, Tenutex, is the treatment of choice in Sweden with topical permethrin or oral ivermectin being used in certain cases. Scabies is an important diagnosis to consider in all patients presenting with pruritus.
Topics: Aged; Animals; Antiparasitic Agents; Child; Humans; Infant; Pruritus; Sarcoptes scabiei; Scabies
PubMed: 29292916
DOI: No ID Found -
Parasites & Vectors Jun 2017The disease scabies is one of the earliest diseases of humans for which the cause was known. It is caused by the mite, Sarcoptes scabiei, that burrows in the epidermis... (Review)
Review
The disease scabies is one of the earliest diseases of humans for which the cause was known. It is caused by the mite, Sarcoptes scabiei, that burrows in the epidermis of the skin of humans and many other mammals. This mite was previously known as Acarus scabiei DeGeer, 1778 before the genus Sarcoptes was established (Latreille 1802) and it became S. scabiei. Research during the last 40 years has tremendously increased insight into the mite's biology, parasite-host interactions, and the mechanisms it uses to evade the host's defenses. This review highlights some of the major advancements of our knowledge of the mite's biology, genome, proteome, and immunomodulating abilities all of which provide a basis for control of the disease. Advances toward the development of a diagnostic blood test to detect a scabies infection and a vaccine to protect susceptible populations from becoming infected, or at least limiting the transmission of the disease, are also presented.
Topics: Animals; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Sarcoptes scabiei; Scabies; Skin
PubMed: 28633664
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2234-1 -
Clinical Microbiology and Infection :... Apr 2012Scabies remains one of the commonest of skin diseases seen in developing countries. Although its distribution is subject to a cycle of infection, with peaks and troughs... (Review)
Review
Scabies remains one of the commonest of skin diseases seen in developing countries. Although its distribution is subject to a cycle of infection, with peaks and troughs of disease prevalence, this periodicity is often less obvious in poor communities. Scabies is a condition that affects families, particularly the most vulnerable; it also has the greatest impact on young children. Largely through the association with secondary bacterial infection caused by group A streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus, the burden of disease is compounded by nephritis, rheumatic fever and sepsis in developing countries. However, with a few notable exceptions, it remains largely neglected as an important public health problem. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on the current position of scabies with regard to its complications and control in resource-poor countries.
Topics: Animals; Coinfection; Communicable Disease Control; Developing Countries; Disease Management; Disease Transmission, Infectious; Humans; Ivermectin; Prevalence; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Sarcoptes scabiei; Scabies; Streptococcal Infections; Streptococcus
PubMed: 22429456
DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2012.03798.x -
International Journal of Environmental... Sep 2019Scabies is a commonly occurring infectious skin infestation that substantially impacts the quality of life, while stroke, which consists of a neurological deficit...
BACKGROUND
Scabies is a commonly occurring infectious skin infestation that substantially impacts the quality of life, while stroke, which consists of a neurological deficit resulting from a lack of blood flow to the brain, carries sizable economic costs. The pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying both diseases involve inflammatory processes that are mediated by the immune system; however, no prior research has been conducted to explore the relationship between the two conditions.
METHODS
This population-based nationwide study utilized data from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan for a total of 6628 scabies patients, who comprised a scabies group, and a randomly selected cohort of 26,509 matching patients, who served as a control group. More specifically, the medical records for the patients in both groups were checked for seven years to identify any new cases of stroke within that seven-year follow-up period. The hazard ratio (HR) of stroke for the follow-up period was then calculated using Cox proportional hazards regressions, while comorbidities and demographic characteristics were likewise analyzed.
RESULTS
During the follow-up period, 2892 patients, or 8.7%, of the overall total of 33,137 patients included in the study were newly diagnosed with a stroke. Of those newly diagnosed stroke patients, 833 were from the scabies group, and 2059 were from the control group, accounting for 12.6% and 7.8%, respectively, of the individuals in each group. With a crude hazard ratio of 1.67, the patients in the scabies group had a significantly higher risk of subsequent stroke than those in the control group, although the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for the scabies patients, which was determined by adjusting for covariates, was only 1.32 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21-1.43).
CONCLUSIONS
The results of the study indicated an elevated risk of stroke among scabies patients, an association that might be contributed to by immunopathological factors. This information could serve as a reminder to clinicians to remain alert to any indications of neurological impairment in patients previously infected with scabies.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cohort Studies; Comorbidity; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Population Surveillance; Proportional Hazards Models; Risk Factors; Scabies; Stroke; Taiwan; Young Adult
PubMed: 31546833
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16183491 -
The American Journal of Tropical... Sep 2021Bullous scabies (BS) is a rare atypical clinical variant of scabies and is easily confused with bullous disorders. The diagnosis of BS is always a challenge, and...
Bullous scabies (BS) is a rare atypical clinical variant of scabies and is easily confused with bullous disorders. The diagnosis of BS is always a challenge, and physicians often misdiagnose BS patients. Patients with BS admitted from 2012 to 2020 were enrolled in this study. The clinical, dermoscopic, and pathological characteristics of the patients were analyzed retrospectively. Ten patients with BS were enrolled in this study. Seven of the 10 patients were male. The bullae were most commonly found on the thighs and arms (80% of patients). Only 30% of patients (3/10) tested positive for mites and/or eggs by the initial skin scraping, but 100% (5/5) of the patients who received dermoscopy tested positive. Among these 10 patients, only five received a skin biopsy. Subepidermal (4/5) and intraepidermal (1/5) bullae with eosinophil and neutrophil infiltration were observed in five patients. Direct immunofluorescence (DIF) indicated linear deposition of IgG in the basement membrane zone in three patients. Physicians should consider the possibility of BS in patients with blisters, pruritus, and poor response to corticosteroids. Dermoscopy should be prioritized for the differential diagnosis of BS to exclude other bullous disorders. Finally, a biopsy should be performed on each patient with bullae.
Topics: Administration, Cutaneous; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Dermoscopy; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pruritus; Retrospective Studies; Scabies; Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous; Sulfur; Young Adult
PubMed: 34491217
DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-0516 -
Transactions of the Royal Society of... Jan 2020Scabies is highly endemic among impoverished populations and has been recently included in the WHO's list of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Community support and...
BACKGROUND
Scabies is highly endemic among impoverished populations and has been recently included in the WHO's list of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Community support and behavioural changes are essential for the success of control interventions. This study aimed to explore beliefs, prevention attitudes and healthcare-seeking behaviours towards scabies in the Bijagós Archipelago of Guinea-Bissau.
METHODS
Data were collected through two methods. Community key informants (community members, community health workers, healthcare workers and traditional healers) were interviewed using snowball sampling. A questionnaire covering perceptions, attitudes and practices was administered to community members using random cluster sampling. Thematic analysis of qualitative data was applied to identify themes. Descriptive statistics were used for quantitative data analysis.
RESULTS
There was a satisfactory awareness about scabies, but perceptions about disease causation and transmission were imprecise. Misconceptions about personal hygiene as the primary measure for scabies prevention were recurrent. Some participants recognised the importance of early treatment to interrupt transmission. Treatment of close contacts was not considered important. Costs were the main determining factor for treatment choice between traditional healer and the local health centre. Late presentation and delayed treatment were common and associated with poverty and stigmatisation. Scabies impaired quality of life by affecting social interactions, health, fitness to work and school attendance.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a need to improve education, recognition, management and affordable access to treatment. Community education, healthcare workers' training and skin NTD integrated control programmes should address the challenges highlighted in this study.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Female; Guinea-Bissau; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Islands; Male; Middle Aged; Quality of Life; Scabies; Young Adult
PubMed: 31722016
DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trz102 -
British Medical Journal Nov 1952
Topics: Animals; Anoplura; DDT; Humans; Lice Infestations; Mites; Phthiraptera; Scabies
PubMed: 12997699
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.2.4795.1198 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Mar 2019Scabies is a common dermatological condition, affecting more than 130 million people at any time. To evaluate and/or predict the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of...
BACKGROUND
Scabies is a common dermatological condition, affecting more than 130 million people at any time. To evaluate and/or predict the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of scabies interventions, disease transmission modelling can be used.
OBJECTIVE
To review published scabies models and data to inform the design of a comprehensive scabies transmission modelling framework to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of scabies interventions.
METHODS
Systematic literature search in PubMed, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library identified scabies studies published since the year 2000. Selected papers included modelling studies and studies on the life cycle of scabies mites, patient quality of life and resource use. Reference lists of reviews were used to identify any papers missed through the search strategy. Strengths and limitations of identified scabies models were evaluated and used to design a modelling framework. Potential model inputs were identified and discussed.
FINDINGS
Four scabies models were published: a Markov decision tree, two compartmental models, and an agent-based, network-dependent Monte Carlo model. None of the models specifically addressed crusted scabies, which is associated with high morbidity, mortality, and increased transmission. There is a lack of reliable, comprehensive information about scabies biology and the impact this disease has on patients and society.
DISCUSSION
Clinicians and health economists working in the field of scabies are encouraged to use the current review to inform disease transmission modelling and economic evaluations on interventions against scabies.
Topics: Animals; Antiparasitic Agents; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Decision Trees; Humans; Ivermectin; Life Cycle Stages; Monte Carlo Method; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; Sarcoptes scabiei; Scabies
PubMed: 30849124
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007182