Scabies is an intensely pruritic disorder induced by a delayed type hypersensitivity reaction to infestation of the skin by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei.

The biology of the mite, the clinical aspects and diagnosis of scabies infestations as well as the treatment of choice with 5% permethrin dermal cream and the use of scabicides based on other chemical substances is reviewed. Resistance of scabies mites to ivermectin and permethrin has been reported (Mumcuoglu & Gilead, 2006, 2008; Mumcuoglu et al. 2009).

The diagnosis of scabies is established clinically and confirmed by identifying mites or eggs by microscopic examination of scrapings from the skin or by surface microscopy using a dermatoscope. Reflectance-mode confocal microscopy is a novel technique used for noninvasive imaging of skin structures and lesions at a resolution compatible to that of conventional histology. Recently, the technique was employed for the confirmation of the clinical diagnosis of scabies. We demonstrate the first ever documentation of a larva moving freely inside the skin of a patient infected with scabies (Levi et al. 2011, 2012).

This study aimed to compare the scabicide sale numbers between 2010 and 2019 and during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and the year after as a surrogate marker for scabies incidence in Israel. During 2010- 2021, there was a constant and significant increasing trend in annual scabicide sales from 7,767 units in 2010 to 21,640 in 2021, averaging 1,261 units per year. A ratio of annual scabicide units sold per 1,000 people was examined after adjusting the annual scabicide sales rate to the annual population growth. The average annual increase was 0.12 units per 1,000 people, increasing from 1.01 units/1,000 people in 2010 to 2.29 units/1,000 people in 2021. A drop in the ratio of scabicide units sold per 1,000 people, seen in 2017 and 2020, was insignificant using Tukey’s method. A linear regression model found a significantly increasing linear trend in the annual scabicide sales per 1,000 people (R2 = 0.9161, p < 0.001) (Mumcuoglu et al. 2023a).

In the present study all documents indexed between 1981 and 2020 in scabies literature were analyzed by using the Web of Science Core Collection database. Overall, 2,933 articles were retrieved on scabies, 66.3% of which were original article. With 663 publications the USA was the most productive country, while The International Journal of Dermatology was the journal with the highest number of publications on scabies. Half of the most productive institutions and seven of the top ten prolific authors were also from Australia. The National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia was the most supportive funding agency. With 4,706 citations, 2020 was the year with most references on scabies. The most cited publication was “The Global Burden of Skin Disease in 2010: An Analysis of the Prevalence and Impact of Skin Conditions” by Hay et al. in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology with a total of 565 citations. The most collaborative country was Australia and the most cooperative institution was the University of Melbourne (Mumcuoglu et al. 2023b).

Levi, A, K.Y. Mumcuoglu, A. Ingber & C.D. Enk. 2011. Assessment of Sarcoptes scabiei viability in vivo by Reflectance Confocal Microscopy. Lasers Med. Sci. DOI 10.1007/s10103-011-0894-1.

Levi, A., K. Y. Mumcuoglu, A. Ingber & C. D. Enk. 2012. Detection of living Sarcoptes scabiei larvae by reflectance mode confocal microscopy in the skin of a patient with crusted scabies. J. Biomed. Optics 17, Issue 6.

Mumcuoglu, K.Y. & L. Gilead. 2006. Recommendations for the treatment of scabies infestations. Isr. Med. Assoc. J. 8: 196-199.

Mumcuoglu, K.Y. & L. Gilead. 2008. Treatment of scabies infestations. Parasite 15: 248-251.

Mumcuoglu, K.Y., L. Gilead & A. Ingber. 2009. New Insights in pediculosis and scabies. Exp. Rev. Dermatol. 4: 285-302.

Mumcuoglu KY, Hoffman T, Schwartz E. 2023a. Scabicide sales before and during the COVID-19 epidemic in Israel. New Microbe and New Infect. 51:101074.

Mumcuoğlu KY, Şenel E, Taylan Özkan A. 2023b. Scientometric evaluation of the itch mite, Sarcoptes scabiei (Acari: Sarcoptidae): The last four decades of global academic output on scabies. Türkiye Parazitol Derg. 47(3): 171-178, DOI: 10.4274/tpd.galenos.2023.51423.

Gazi U, Taylan-Ozkan A, Mumcuoglu KY. 2022. Immune mechanisms in human Sarcoptes scabiei (Acari: Sarcoptidae) infestations. Parasite Immunol. 2022;44:e12900. Link

Soner U, Durdu M, Yürekli A, Mülayim MK, Akyol M, Velipaşaoğlu S, Harman M, Taylan-Özkan A, Şavk E, Demir-Dora D, Dönmez L, Gazi U, Aktaş H, Aktürk AS, Demir G, Göktay F, Gürel MS, Gürok NG, Karadağ AS, Küçük OS, Turan C, Ural ZK, Zorbozan O, Mumcuoğlu KY (eds.). 2024. Scabies in Every Aspect (in Turkish). Kongre Kitabevi, Antalya, pp. 21-34.

Mumcuoğlu KY, Taylan-Özkan A, Gazi U. 2024. Entomological and Immunological Characteristics of Scabies (in Turkish). In: Scabies in Every Aspect. Soner U, Durdu M,  Yürekli A, Mülayim MK, Akyol M, Velipaşaoğlu S, Harman M, Taylan-Özkan A, Şavk E, Demir-Dora D, Dönmez L, Gazi U, Aktaş H, Aktürk AS, Demir G, Göktay F, Gürel MS, Gürok NG, Karadağ AS, Küçük OS, Turan C, Ural ZK, Zorbozan O, Mumcuoğlu KY (eds.). Kongre Kitabevi, Antalya, pp. 21-34.

Rotz, A. von, K.Y. Mumcuoglu, J. Pohlenz, M. Suter, M. Brossard & D. Barth. 1983. Experimental infestation of cattle with permanent and temporary ectoparasites and their influence on leather quality (in German). Zbl. Vet. Med. 30:397-407.

Rufli, T. & K.Y. Mumcuoglu. 1981. Dermatological Entomology. 20. Sarcoptidae / Itch mites (in German). Schweiz. Rundschau Med. 70:414-429.

Soner U, Durdu M, Yürekli A, Mülayim MK, Akyol M, Velipaşaoğlu S, Harman M, Taylan-Özkan A, Şavk E, Demir-Dora D, Dönmez L, Gazi U, Aktaş H, Aktürk AS, Demir G, Göktay F, Gürel MS, Gürok NG, Karadağ AS, Küçük OS, Turan C, Ural ZK, Zorbozan O, Mumcuoğlu KY. 2024. Recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of scabies (in Turkish). Link