Increase in Scabies Cases and Permethrin Nonresponse in Türkiye

There has been an increase in scabies cases in Türkiye, and is considered to be an epidemic.

The aim of this study was to assess scabies cases and the current status of scabies treatment by comparing patients who received scabies diagnosis and treatment before the COVID-19 pandemic, during the pandemic, and the normalization process.

In this study, data of patients who applied to Van İpekyolu 1st Family Health Center and received a scabies diagnosis were evaluated retrospectively. Demographic data such as age, sex, application dates, and treatment methods were received from the electronic registration database of Van İpekyolu 1st Family Health Center. Categorical variables were presented as numbers (n) and percentages (%). The "two proportions Z-test and Fisher's exact" test of the ratios were used for categorical variables.

Before the pandemic, among 4009 patients with dermatology complaints, 56 (1.4%) received a scabies diagnosis. An increase in scabies cases has been observed since 2018, and the annual case count has further increased during the pandemic. Before the pandemic, 10 (17.9%) out of 56 patients diagnosed with scabies and 70 (31.1%) out of 225 patients diagnosed with scabies during and after the pandemic experienced recurrence after permethrin treatment. Patients who did not respond to permethrin treatment were successfully treated with ivermectin.

An increase in scabies cases has been identified in conjunction with the COVID-19 pandemic and the recurrence of scabies in patients treated with permethrin after the pandemic has raised concerns about the potential development of resistance to permethrin.