Epidemiology and control of scabies in an Egyptian village

Background Some studies have addressed the epidemiology of scabies among ru ral populations in developing countries; however, the epidemiology of scabi es among the rural population in Egypt is unknown. We sought to determine t he magnitude of scabies infestation in an Egyptian village and to evaluate the control measures after 1 year. Methods This study was carried out on 3147 residents of Mit-Moaned village in Dakahlia governorate, Egypt. It was a cross-sectional follow-up study wh ere the same individuals examined in round I were re-examined in round iii. The two rounds were separated by a period of 1 year, during which infested patients were followed up and new cases were discovered (round II). Patien ts and their household contacts received treatment with topical permethrin. Patients showing resistance to permethrin received a single oral dose of i vermectin. Results In round Ill, the overall prevalence rate of scabies was reduced fr om 5.4% in round I to 1.1%, The incidence of new cases among susceptible pe rsons during round II was 1.1%. Scabies was significantly (P < 0.05) more p revalent among families of large size, high crowding index at night, low so cioeconomic standards, and those receiving their water supply from a hand p ump. Children younger than 10 years showed the highest prevalence. Conclusions Our data provide the first complete picture of the epidemiology of scabies in rural Egypt. The epidemiologic characteristics of the diseas e should be considered in the design of disease control programs for other villages with scabies epidemics. Our findings revealed that good control wa s achieved with the following: increased awareness and better case finding, education of the staff at the rural health unit, improved hygiene measures , and massive treatment campaigns using effective drugs such as topical per methrin and oral ivermectin.