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Use of Ivermectin to Treat an Institutional Outbreak of Scabies in a Low-Resource Setting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Coralith Garcia*
Affiliation:
Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
David Iglesias
Affiliation:
Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
Angélica Terashima
Affiliation:
Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
Marco Canales
Affiliation:
Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
Eduardo Gotuzzo
Affiliation:
Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
*
Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Av. Honorio Delgado 430, Urb. Ingenieria, Lima 41, Peru (03345@ upch.edu.pe)

Abstract

In a limited-resource hospital in Lima, Peru, 23 (63.9%) of 36 healthcare workers developed pruritus and/or skin lesions after contact with a patient with classic scabies. Of these 23, a total of 5 healthcare workers had scabies confirmed by microscopy. Oral ivermectin was used to control the outbreak effectively.

Type
Poverty and Human Development: Concise Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2007

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