title: Seroprevalence of Sarcoptes scabiei var canis antibodies among aborigines in peninsular Malaysia.
abstract: The Aborigines or Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia who are still seminomadic are known to have a close association with dogs. In this study, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect anti-Sarcoptes scabiei var canis antibodies in this community as a measure of exposure to the mite. Out of 312 Orang Asli tested, 24.7% were positive for polyvalent anti-Sarcoptes antibodies. No significant difference was found between the positive rates in males (26.1%) and females (23.6%). Only 1.9% were positive for IgA and none was positive for IgE anti-Sarcoptes antibodies. Since there were very few patients with clinical manifestation of scabies, there is a possibility that continuous exposure to the dogs mite confers cross-protective immunity in the community against human scabies.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Normaznah
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saniah
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nazma
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krishnasamy
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hakim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D004285:Dogs / Q000469:parasitology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011817:Rabbits; D044469:Racial Groups; D012520:Sarcoptes scabiei / Q000276:immunology*; D012532:Scabies / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000276:immunology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007073:Immunoglobulin E