Abstract
Pacific Island countries have a high burden of scabies and impetigo. Understanding of the epidemiology of these diseases is needed to target public health interventions such as mass drug administration (MDA). The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of scabies and impetigo in Solomon Islands as well as the relationship between them and their distribution. We conducted a prevalence study in 20 villages in Western Province in Solomon Islands. All residents of the village were eligible to participate. Nurses conducted clinical assessments including history features and skin examination. Diagnosis of scabies was made using the 2020 International Alliance for the Control of Scabies diagnostic criteria. Assessments were completed on 5239 participants across 20 villages. Overall scabies prevalence was 15.0% (95%CI 11.8–19.1). There was considerable variation by village with a range of 3.3% to 42.6%. There was a higher prevalence of scabies in males (16.7%) than females (13.5%, adjusted relative risk 1.2, 95%CI 1.1–1.4). Children aged under two years had the highest prevalence (27%). Overall impetigo prevalence was 5.6% (95%CI 4.2–7.3), ranging from 1.4% to 19% by village. The population attributable risk of impetigo associated with scabies was 16.1% (95% CI 9.8–22.4). The prevalence of scabies in our study is comparable to previous studies in Solomon Islands, highlighting a persistent high burden of disease in the country, and the need for public health strategies for disease control.
Highlights
Scabies is a skin condition caused by the parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis
Pacific Island countries have a high burden of scabies due to overcrowding, the tropical environment and limited access to treatment
The host response and scratching can lead to a break in the skin barrier which in turn can lead to secondary bacterial skin infection, most frequently by Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus
Summary
Scabies is a skin condition caused by the parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis. Scabies is a skin condition caused by the parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei var. [2] Superficial bacterial skin infection, known as impetigo, can lead to severe infections and serious immune mediated complications of the internal organs, including the kidney and heart.[3,4]. Scabies is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a neglected tropical disease, with an estimated 455 million annual incident cases.[5] The disease has a high prevalence in many low-resource tropical environments, in Pacific Islands countries.[6] Scabies transmission occurs as a result of skin-to-skin contact and spreads in overcrowded living conditions
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