Seasonality trends of scabies in a young adult population: a 20-year follow-up

Abstract

Scabies in a young adult population is more frequent in the cooler months of the year.

The effects of climate factors on scabies. A 14-year population-based study in Taiwan

“…Although we did not observe a significant seasonality trend in the incidence of scabies, seasonality trends for scabies infestations have been reported in a large population study of the Israeli Army (specifically, this study reported a higher incidence in winter than in summer) [20]. Many studies, in fact, have reported high incidences of scabies infestations during the cool weather of the fall and winter seasons [1, 25, 26].…”

“…In contrast, the mites have better survival and higher fertility rates in cool weather [4, 24], with the mite eggs being capable of remaining viable off of a host for up to 10 days at low temperatures [3]. Long-term observations from Scotland and Israel have demonstrated that the incidence of scabies in those countries was higher during cooler seasons, indicating that the increased person-to-person contact and overcrowding that occur in colder weather facilitate the spread of scabies [3, 20]. Consistent with these studies, our study also demonstrated a negative correlation between temperature and the rate of scabies infestations.…”

“…Scabies is a kind of parasitic infection caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei variety hominis . Scabies is mostly transmitted by person-to-person contact, and many outbreaks have been reported in nursing homes, hospitals, and army facilities [5, 20]. All persons who have had contact history with infected patients, especially family members or those who have engaged in sexual contact, should receive preventative treatment [10] since asymptomatic infestation is likely to lead to re-infestation of the index case who is highly symptomatic.…”

“…Although previous studies have revealed seasonal fluctuations in the rate of scabies infestations [20], there is a lack of studies regarding how scabies infestations are affected by different climates. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of various climate variables, such as temperature, humidity, and total rainfall, on the incidence of scabies infestations.…”

Scabies Prevalence and Risk Factors in Pakistan: A Hospital Based Survey

“…And the West Bank, Palestinian Territories [19]. Similarly to [22][23][24][25]. Scabies was more prevalent in winter.…”