Dr Robel Yirgu from the GHRU Phase 1 has had two papers published in two months with his Unit doctoral supervisors (Jo Middleton, Abebaw Fekunda, Gail Davey) and the statistics team (Stephen Bremner, Chris Jones). The first describes an evaluation of the secondary impact of ivermectin mass drug administration (MDA) for onchocerciasis elimination on scabies in Amhara.
The key take-home messages of that study were that (1) community prevalence of scabies did not significantly reduce following single-dose ivermectin MDA, and that (2) a second dose should be given (in line with normal scabies treatment), alongside parallel topical scabicides for children <5 years and pregnant women (who do not receive ivermectin).
You can read the paper here.
The second paper reports an assessment of scabies determinants, prevalence, community knowledge, and clinical presentation.
The key take-home messages from that piece of work include: (1) community prevalence was high at 13.4%; (2) households of >5 people were associated with increased odds of infestation; (3) only 32% of cases had sought care; (4) an observed subtle stigma was associated with scabies; and (5) frequency of bathing was not predictive.
You can read the paper here.
Book chapter published on controlling scabies outbreaks in refugee camps, healthcare settings, and other semi-closed institutions
Jo Middleton (Research Fellow in Global Health and Infection) contributed a chapter on the epidemiology and control of institutional scabies outbreaks to a new volume on scabies research and clinical practice; the first dedicated to scabies since the 1980s. It describes the worldwide epidemiology of institutional scabies outbreaks across settings, and draws out general strategic priorities for case management and outbreak control.
It also provides tools necessary to carry out an epidemiological assessment of an institutional scabies outbreak. A summary checklist of the key steps to take are provided to aid action in refugee camps and other settings for displaced persons; prisons; schools; hospitals; hostels; and residential settings for elderly people, children and those with learning disabilities.
You can read the book here.
