Epidemiological Study of Patients Infected with Scabies in Aden, Yemen

Abstract

Background: Scabies is a highly contagious skin disease. Objectives: To determine the occurrence of scabies among Yemeni patients and to identify the complication and treatment. Materials and methods: This retrospective study was conducted at two private clinics in Aden, Yemen. We reviewed all medical files of the patients who diagnosed with scabies and treated in our clinics during the period January 2020 to December 2021. The collected data were processed by the statistical software package SPSS version 22 and statistical analysis was done by estimating rates, means and standard deviations. Chi-square test was used and p-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The study patients were (59.8%) males and (40.2%) females. The mean age of all patients was 21.6 ± 16.8 years. The patients of the age ≤ 10 years were predominant (31.8%) followed by patients of the age group 11-20 years old with (21.5%). The affected students represented the higher number and percentage (34.6%). The second infected groups were the workers with (14.9%) and housewives with (14.7%) (p = 0.000). The poor level of personal hygiene was predominant with (66.8%). Impetigo complication represented (9.2%) followed by post inflammatory hyperpigmentation in (6.3%) patients, scabiophobia in (2.7%) patients and ecthyma in (1.6%) patients. 44% patients were treated with benzyl benzoate lotion and 32.1% with permethrin lotion and oral antibiotic. Conclusion: The occurrence of scabies in the age group ≤ 10 years were predominant. Impetigo was the first complication. Most of the patients treated with benzyl benzoate lotion and permethrin lotion with oral antibiotic. Further studies are needed to determine the incidence and prevalence of scabies in Aden governorate. Keywords: Epidemiological study, scabies, Aden, Yemen.