Scabies News and Research

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Human scabies is caused by an infestation of the skin by the human itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis). The microscopic scabies mite burrows into the upper layer of the skin where it lives and lays its eggs. The most common symptoms of scabies are intense itching and a pimple-like skin rash. The scabies mite usually is spread by direct, prolonged, skin-to-skin contact with a person who has scabies.

The emergence of tanapox in South Africa, 2022

Study describes a human case of tanapox in South Africa.

10 Apr 2023

The antimicrobial activity of tee tree oil nanoliposomes against Escherichia coli

The main aim of the current study is to develop a new drug to promote sustainable and healthy animal husbandry in China.

18 Nov 2022

How should we react to the global monkeypox outbreak?

In a new study, researchers assessed the various aspects of the global monkeypox outbreak.

12 Aug 2022

A California man’s ‘painful and terrifying’ road to a monkeypox diagnosis

Two days after Kevin Kwong flew home to California from New York, his hands itched so badly, the pain jolted him from sleep. He thought the problem was eczema.

4 Aug 2022

Updated Cochrane Review: No evidence to support the use of ivermectin for treating COVID-19 infection

There remains no evidence to support the use of ivermectin for treating or preventing COVID-19 infection, state the authors of an updated Cochrane Review, which now contains 11 trials across 3409 people.

24 Jun 2022

Study paves the way for efficient one-dose strategy to reduce scabies prevalence

One dose of an anti-parasite drug was just as effective as two at significantly reducing the spread of scabies, the contagious, intensely itchy skin condition, according to a new study.

10 Feb 2022

WHO and Sanofi sign new agreement to sustain specific efforts to eliminate NTDs

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Sanofi – one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies – have signed a new agreement for donations of medicines to sustain specific efforts to eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

16 Dec 2021

As constituents clamor for ivermectin, Republican politicians embrace the cause

When state senators in South Carolina held two hearings in September about covid-19 treatments, they got an earful on the benefits of ivermectin — which many of the lawmakers echoed, sharing experiences of their own loved ones.

8 Nov 2021

Systematic review explores the effects of ivermectin in preventing and treating COVID-19

Ivermectin, a drug used to treat parasites such as scabies in humans and intestinal helminths in cattle, was screened in 2020 for activity against COVID-19. Laboratory tests suggested a weak effect on SARS-CoV-2 virus in a test tube but did not seem feasible in humans as the doses needed would be large.

28 Jul 2021

Nurses and docs at Long Beach Center ‘consider it an honor’ to care for migrant children

The 5-year-old had nodded off while waiting for her 10-year-old brother to be treated for scabies at the clinic in the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, which she currently calls home. Nurse Chai-Chih Huang asked if she wanted to be taken back to her dormitory to sleep.

21 Jun 2021

New evidence supports ivermectin use in children weighing less than fifteen kilograms

Millions of children weighing less than 15kg are currently denied access to Ivermectin treatment due to insufficient safety data being available to support a change to the current label indication.

18 Mar 2021

Ivermectin may not be the ‘silver bullet’ antiviral against COVID-19

A team of researchers based in Peru and the U.S. recently examined the role of the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin in treating COVID-19.

1 Feb 2021

Could Ivermectin be an effective antiviral against SARS-CoV-2?

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial has recently demonstrated that Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug, can reduce in-hospital mortality rate of COVID-19 patients.

11 Jan 2021

World Health Organization, Sanofi sign new agreement to eliminate neglected tropical diseases

15 Dec 2020

Nasal spray formulation of ivermectin for COVID-19 shows promise in pigs

Researchers in Argentina have conducted a pre-clinical study demonstrating the safety and pharmacokinetic performance of a new nasal spray formulation designed to suppress the replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

26 Oct 2020

Antiparasitic drug Ivermectin kills coronavirus in 48 hours

Around the world, scientists race to develop a vaccine or treatment against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Now, a team of researchers has found that a drug already available around the world can kill the coronavirus in a lab setting in just 48 hours.

6 Apr 2020

Speedier examinations may be useful in public health assessments of scabies

For years, the diagnosis of scabies has relied on time-consuming and intrusive full-body examinations. Now, researchers reporting in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases have found that an exam of just a patient's hands, feet and lower legs may have the potential to catch more than 90 percent of all scabies cases, regardless of severity.

28 Dec 2018

Dermatologist offers tips to help soothe itchy skin

Everyone gets an itch once in a while. Usually it only lasts for a short time and is often caused by annoyances like a mosquito bite or scratchy fabric.

10 Jan 2017

Australian researchers identify genetic map of human parasitic scabies mite

Australian researchers have used cutting-edge genome technologies to reveal the genetic makeup of a widespread skin parasite causing serious health problems in Aboriginal communities.

15 Feb 2016

Scientists confirm relation between levels of certain pollutants in the body and levels of obesity

A team of Spanish scientists, which includes several researchers from the University of Granada, has confirmed that there is a relation between the levels of certain environmental pollutants that a person accumulates in his or her body and their level of obesity. Subjects with more pollutants in their organisms present besides higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, which are important risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

27 Feb 2015