Abstract
Zoonotic scabies (ZS), also referred to as “pseudoscabies”, is considered a self-limiting disease with a short incubation period and transient clinical skin signs. It is commonly thought that Sarcoptes scabiei mites from animals are unable to successfully reproduce and persist on human skin; however, several ZS case reports have mentioned the persistence of symptoms and occasionally mites for weeks. The aim of this review was to collect and organize the sparse literature explicitly referring to S. scabiei zoonotic transmission, focusing on the source of the outbreak, the circumstances leading to the transmission of the parasite, the diagnosis including the identification of the Sarcoptes “strain” involved, and the applied treatments. A total of 46 articles, one conference abstract and a book were collected describing ZS cases associated with twenty animal hosts in five continents. Dogs were by far the most common source among pet owners, while diverse livestock and wildlife contributed to the caseload as an occupational disease. Genetic epidemiological studies of ZS outbreaks are still limited in number, but tools are available to fill this knowledge gap in the near future. Further research is also needed to understand the apparent heterogeneity in the morbidity, disease severity and timing of the response to treatment among people infected with different animal-derived strains.
Highlights
Named sarcoptic mange when referring to animals, is a contagious parasitic skin disease caused by the burrowing mite, Sarcoptes scabiei (DeGeer, 1778) (Sarcoptiformes: Sarcoptidae), affecting more than 150 mammal species worldwide
Scabies was listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) among the neglected tropical diseases in 2017, acknowledging the need for greater awareness on the part of practitioners and health organizations and for a global consensus on control guidelines and strategies
Experimental human infections with scabies mites of dog origin resulted, in four of six volunteers, in a successful replication with hatching and development of mites [6,7], and several spontaneous Zoonotic scabies (ZS) case reports have mentioned the persistence of symptoms for weeks until an effective acaricide treatment was applied [8,9,10]
Summary
Named sarcoptic mange when referring to animals, is a contagious parasitic skin disease caused by the burrowing mite, Sarcoptes scabiei (DeGeer, 1778) (Sarcoptiformes: Sarcoptidae), affecting more than 150 mammal species worldwide. Experimental human infections with scabies mites of dog origin resulted, in four of six volunteers, in a successful replication with hatching and development of mites [6,7], and several spontaneous ZS case reports have mentioned the persistence of symptoms for weeks until an effective acaricide treatment was applied [8,9,10]. These reports suggest that scabies mites’ needs may be fulfilled in human skin, too. This review is conceived as a narrative collection and critical analysis of the available literature on S. scabiei zoonotic episodes, focusing on the source of the outbreaks and the circumstances leading to the transmission of the parasite
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