Disease Report on Scabies

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Disease Report on Scabies

Scabies is a very unpleasant skin disease to acquire. This disease is also known as the human itch mite. In the medical field, it is known as Sarcoptes scabiei var hominis. Scabies have been around for centuries. Scabies was first documented in a letter written by Dr. Giovan Cosimo Bonomo on July, 18, 1687, to Francesco Redi2. This letter provided the first accurate presentation of the mite, with detailed drawings of its appearance. In this letter, Dr. Bonomo stated that “the sarcoptes scabiei could be transmitted by direct contact, and it stuck to almost everything.” Dr. Bonomo made the discovery by going to villages that had the ‘itch’, and actually managed to obtain a ‘sac’ from people by sticking a needle in their skin and manipulating the mites out to study them. This significant study marked the first time that a microscopic organism could be the cause of the disease. Although the mite was known long before Dr. Bonomo described it, and widely documented, it was not considered to be the cause of the disease; it was believed to be caused by an internal ailment. (http://www.dermato.med.br/hds/bibliography/1998giovan-cosimo-bonomo.htm).

Within the documentation of Dr. Bonomos’ notes, he described the skin rash “with papules and severe itching.” Dr. Bonomo also wrote about the transmission of the mite, of which modern day descriptions are identical to his. Itching with rash and papules may affect much of the body, or be limited to more common sites, such as the wrists, waist, between the fingers, buttocks and shoulder blades. Most diagnosis of the scabies infestation is made upon the appearance and distribution of rash and the presence of burrows, but a definitive diagnosis is made by a skin scrapin...

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...nly includes prescribing the drugs and topical creams, but also educating the public on how to properly apply the cream by covering all skin surfaces from the neck down, not just the infected areas. With proper diagnosis and by following the treatment plan, scabies can be controlled.

Works Cited

Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases

(http://www.cdc.goc/scabies/)

Duke, James A. The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook.

Rodale Books, 2000: 100-106.

Parish LC, Witkowski JA. The Saga Of Ectoparasitoses: scabies and Pediculosis. Int J Dermatol

1999; 38-432-3.

Silva, Marcia Ramos MD, PHD. “Giovan Cosimo Bonomo (1663-1696): Discoverer of The

Etiology of Scabies; International Journal of Dermatology 1998; 37(8):625-630.

(http://www.dermato.med.br/hds/bibliography/1998; 37(8):625-630).

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