Giving Compass' Take:

· In the developed world, Scabies is understood to be a disease of the past. Now, The Conversation reports that research is being conducted to find a treatment for this highly contagious skin disease after it made its way back through immigrants.  

· Is there any reported remedy for this parasitic skin disease? How can donors prevent the spread of scabies? 

· Learn how you can make an impact on global health.

Scabies, long considered a disease of the past in the developed world, is making its way back. This highly contagious parasitic skin disease, which is caused by the burrowing itch mite Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis, is most commonly transmitted through personal contact in close living quarters and institutional settings, such as schools, aged care facilities, hospitals and refugee camps.

We are currently investigating the treatment of scabies in human and animal trials. Our recent study examined scabies outbreaks across the globe in close living quarters and institutional settings.

After years of absence from the global health agenda, in 2013, scabies was added to the World Health Organization list of neglected tropical diseases. The disease has a significant and widespread health impact that extends far beyond an itchy rash.

Scabies is very common, with a global prevalence at any one time estimated at about 300 million cases, or about 4 percent of the world’s population. The disease is endemic in a number of countries, with an average prevalence of 5-10 percent in children of developing countries.

Read the full article about scabies by Jackson Thomas, Gregory Peterson, Julia K. Christenson, Mark Naunton, and Professor Tom Calma AO at The Conversation