Scabies epidemic: price and prejudice.
Scabies epidemics are not unusual, and the recommended way of stopping them is by simultaneous treatment of everybody in the facility; this has been known since the last century, when Norwegian scabies was a problem in Norway. When this is not done, scabies epidemics can smolder for months. Scabies should not spread with good infection control measures, but we learned that a good infection control service is not enough. Efforts have to be done to educate everybody in the hospital, including laundry workers, and to improve work conditions.
Pasternak
J
J
Real e Benemérita Sociedade Portuguesa de Beneficencia, Hospital Sao Joaquim, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Richtmann
R
R
Ganme
A P
AP
Rodrigues
E A
EA
Silva
F B
FB
Hirata
M L
ML
Ciosak
S
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000191:economics; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012532:Scabies / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission