title: The effects of climate factors on scabies. A 14-year population-based study in Taiwan.
abstract: Scabies is a common infectious disease and can cause severe outbreaks if not controlled quickly. Besides personal contact history, environmental factors are also important. This study analyzed the effects of environmental climate factors on the incidence of scabies in Taiwan. We conducted a 14-year nationwide population-based study: a total of 14,883 patients with scabies infestation were enrolled. Monthly climate data were collected from Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau, including data on temperature, relative humidity, total rainfall, total rain days, and total sunshine hours. The linear relationships between these climate factors and scabies infestations or other risk factors were examined by Pearson's correlation analysis. Overall, the incidence of scabies was negatively correlated with temperature (γ = -0.152, p < 0.001), while being positively correlated with humidity (γ = 0.192, p < 0.001). This useful information may provide evidence for lowering humidity at nursing facilities, hospitals, and military camps with scabies infestations, which may help to reduce its spread and prevent outbreaks.
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, 330 Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jui-Ming
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 110 Tapei, Taiwan - Division of Infection Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, 235 Tapei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiao-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, 114 Tapei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Fung-Wei
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, 100 Tapei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yueh-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, 235 Tapei, Taiwan - Superintendent Office, Ningbo Medical Center, Lihuili Eastern Hospital, Ningbo City, 315000 Zhejiang Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Feng-Hsiang
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Lo-Hsu Medical Foundation, Lotung Poh-Ai Hospital, 265 Luodong, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, 106 Tapei, Taiwan - Institute of Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, 106 Tapei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuan-Chen
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, 114 Tapei, Taiwan - Department of Pathology and Graduate Institute of Pathology and Parasitology, the Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, 114 Tapei, Taiwan - Biobank Management Center of the Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, 114 Tapei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ren-Jun
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hsu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002980:Climate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011891:Rain; D012532:Scabies / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012621:Seasons; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013472:Sunlight; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D013696:Temperature; D055815:Young Adult