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Global Mapping and Trends in Scabies Research Over Four Decades: A Bibliometric Analysis Supporting the WHO
Rusmawardiana1, Fifa Argentina1, Raden Pamudji1
1Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Aesthetics, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sriwijaya/Mohammad Hoesin General Hospital, Palembang, Indonesia.
Background:
Scabies is a neglected tropical disease with at least 200 million people affected worldwide at any one time and a disproportionate burden in resource-limited settings. Although World Health Organization (WHO) prioritization has increased attention to scabies control, the evolution, geographic distribution, collaboration patterns, and policy alignment of the global research landscape remain incompletely characterized. This study mapped publication trends, research inequities, and thematic shifts in relation to the WHO control agenda.
Methods:
A bibliometric analysis was conducted using Scopus and Web of Science records published from 1 January 1980 through 31 December 2025. Records were harmonized, screened, and deduplicated using R-bibliometrix version 5.1.1 and visualized using Biblioshiny version 5.1.1.
Results:
After cross-database screening and deduplication, 3696 publications were included. The annual growth rate was 3.24%, international collaboration was 13.84%, and mean citations were 13.98 per document. Australia (1170 publications), the United States (945), China (502), and the United Kingdom (455) were the leading contributors. Thematic patterns shifted from classical topical scabicides toward oral ivermectin, mass drug administration (MDA), standardized diagnosis, and implementation-oriented research, while resistance and crusted scabies emerged as prominent recent themes.
Conclusion:
Publication growth accelerated after 2017, temporally coinciding with WHO recognition of scabies as a neglected tropical disease; however, the descriptive design does not establish causality. Research output remains geographically concentrated, with no African or Latin American country represented among the 10 most productive countries. Broader international collaboration, research-capacity strengthening in highly endemic settings, and operational research on diagnosis, MDA, surveillance, and treatment effectiveness are priorities for the 2030 control agenda.