Sarcoptes scabiei infestation among children in a displacement camp in Sierra Leone.
Public Health
; 115(3): 208-11, 2001 May.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-11429717
ABSTRACT
The prevalence of scabies was investigated among a study population of 125 children between the ages of 1-15 y. Confirmation of scabies was done by clinical examination of each child and by the identification of the mite by microscopically examining the scrapings from the scabies-like lesions. The prevalence was age dependent, with children under five years accounting for 77%, peaking to 86% among the 5 to 9-y-olds, and steadily declining with an increase in age. Lesions were found on almost all parts of the body, but lesions were more commonly located on the fingers, legs, hands, face, stomach, and genitalia. Sarcoptes scabiei var hominis was recovered from 84 (67%) of the 125 skin scrapings examined. The prevalence of scabies is high in children in the displacement camps, suggesting that it may be a serious public health problem not only in these camps, but also in the entire country. This may be due to the fact that certain environmental conditions like civil unrest, overcrowding, poor personal hygiene, poverty, and ignorance, which are conducive to the spread of scabies, is characteristically present among the camp residents. Control programs should be put in place and implemented in an integrated nature, by reducing overcrowding, and by improving health education, personal hygiene, treatment and surveillance among high-risk populations.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Refugiados
/
Escabiose
/
Surtos de Doenças
Tipo de estudo:
Prevalence_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Adolescent
/
Animals
/
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
País/Região como assunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Public Health
Ano de publicação:
2001
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Serra Leoa