Scabies in Far North Queensland, Tropical Australia: Implications for Local Clinical Practice and Public Health Strategies

• DOI: 10.20944/preprints202503.1941.v1
• Publication Date: 2025-03-26T05:23:44Z
• Authors: Mert Hamdi Korkusuz; Maria Eugenia Cas...; Linton R. Harriss; Allison Hempenstall; Simon Smith; Josh Hanson
• Keywords: Neglected Tropical Diseases

The burden of scabies in Far North Queensland (FNQ), tropical Australia is incompletely defined. We reviewed the results every skin scraping collected FNQ’s public health system between 2000 and 2023; 121/4345 (2.8%) were positive, including 19/1071 (1.8%) last 5 years study; proportion tests that positive for declined over study period (rs=-0.62, p=0.0001) Individuals who tested no more likely to have had a prior diagnosis ARF or RHD compared matched controls (1/101 (1%) versus 3/101 (3%); OR (95% CI): 0.32 (0.03–3.20), p=0.33). During median (IQR) 14.7 (6.6-20.1) follow up, individuals also than (2/100 (2%) 6/98 (6%); hazard ratio (HR) 0.30 (0.06-1.50) p=0.14). all 292 diagnosed with Cairns Hospital Emergency Department March 2016 May 2024. Skin scrapings performed 14/292 (4.5%); only 1/14 was scabies. Microbiologically confirmed uncommon FNQ appears make limited contribution local incidence RHD.