Abstract

SCABIES PREVALENCE AMONG CHILDREN OF THE SÃO FRANCISCO DE ASSIS COMMUNITY, CITY OF MANHUAÇU, PROVINCE OF MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL.

Antonio Neres Norberg*, Fernanda Castro Manhães, Bianca Magnelli Mangiavacchi, Lígia Cordeiro Matos Faial, Paulo Roberto Blanco Moreira Norberg, Milena Ávila Furtado and Ane Esposti Rangel Bastos

ABSTRACT

Scabies is a parasitic disease caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite, which mainly affects children and is a world major public health problem. Epidemiological research was performed on the incidence of scabies in children from the São Francisco de Assis Community, city of Manhuaçu, Province of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The diagnosis was established by clinical characteristics of the disease, and in some cases, by laboratory confirmation verifying S. scabiei through the process of overlapping gummed tape and light microscopic observation with the 40X objective. Among 154 examined children, 14 (9.09%) were positive for scabies. Scabies is a common dermatosis among the examined children and is associated with considerable morbidity in the São Francisco de Assis community, afflicted by poverty and poor housing and hygiene conditions. We suggest a public health authorities urgent intervention to implement control measures in order to minimize the transmission of the scabies agent.

Keywords: Sarcoptes scabiei, scabies, dermatoses, ectoparasitoses.