An unexpected consequence of the global refugee crisis.
Scabies, long considered a disease of the past in the developed world, is making its way back.
This highly contagious parasitic skin disease, which is caused by the burrowing itch mite Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis, is most commonly transmitted through personal contact in close living quarters and institutional settings, such as schools, aged care facilities, hospitals and refugee camps.
We are currently investigating the treatment of scabies in human and animal trials. Our recent studyexamined scabies outbreaks across the globe in close living quarters and institutional settings.
On the public agenda
After years of absence from the global health agenda, in 2013, scabies was added to the World Health Organization list of neglected tropical diseases. The disease has a significant and widespread health impact that extends far beyond an itchy rash.
Scabies is very common, with a global prevalence at any one time estimated at about 300 million cases, or about 4 percent of the world’s population. The disease is endemic in a number of countries, with an average prevalence of 5-10 percent in children of developing countries.
The highest rates of scabies occur in communities in tropical regions such as Central America, the Pacific islands and Northern Australia, where more than 30 percent of the residents may have scabies. In a national study of Fijian residents incorporating skin examination, 36.5 percent of children below 5 years of age and 43.7 percent of children aged 5 to 9 had scabies. A study of children in two remote Northern Australian Aboriginal communities found that by 1 year of age, 63 percent of children had presented with scabies.
Outside of occasional institutional outbreaks, scabies has long been considered a disease of the past in the developed world. However, with the influx of immigrants, mostly from North African and Middle Eastern countries due to socioeconomic and political upheaval, we have seen scabies re-emerge as a modern-day problem.
Morbidity and complications
Scabies infestation occurs when a mite burrows into the outermost layer of our skin, the epidermis. The primary method of scabies mite transmission between humans
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About the Researcher(s)
Professor Gregory Peterson
Greg has held a personal Chair at the University of Tasmania since 2000, awarded on the basis of his research and teaching excellence. Greg has led many state and national projects directed at improving the use of medications and patient outcomes in community, hospital and aged care sectors.
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