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Scabies is a challenging skin disease caused by the
mite Sarcoptes scabiei and affecting
most of the animals including man. The zoonotic transmission of mange mite from
dog to humans is reported in this article. The infestation has immense public
health importance as it can be transmitted even after a transient contact with
the diseased animal to man. Microscopic investigation of a skin scraping from
active lesions confirmed the mite infestation in the dog while there was an
absence of micro-parasite in the scraping obtained from infested patients as it
was not burrowing a deep tunnel into the human skin owing to their host
specificity. The infestations were successfully treated with the injection of
Ivermectin @ 200 µg/kg body weight, subcutaneously in dog and with the
application of 1% Gamma Benzene Hexa Chloride along with 0.1% cetrimide lotion
in the human patient.
The occupational groups at high risk group of this
evolving concern are veterinarians, kennel workers, pet owners, and their
children, who frequently come in contact during their occupation and hobby with
the infested dogs and puppies. Proper interventional measures should be adopted
to prevent, control and eradicate the infestation.
Keywords: Sarcoptes scabiei, Infestation, Zoonotic transmission, Skin scraping, Treatment,
Interventional measures
INTRODUCTION
The scabies is a very contagious,
ectoparasitic skin infestation of pet, domestic, laboratory, wild animals and
man. It is caused by a mange mite Sarcoptes
scabiei. It is a highly communicable parasitosis with specific lesions such
as burrows; and nonspecific lesions such as a papule, vesicles and excoriations
[1]. The canine scabies is characterized by intense pruritis, reddening, loss
of hair and scabs. The mite is usually hosted specific and affects canids but
it can transmit to other hosts like human beings. The mites burrow into the
skin of the dog, complete the life cycle in 20-22 days, transforming in
different stages viz. egg, larvae,
nymph and adult via molting. The usual habitats of mites are abdomen, elbow,
hock and flap of the ear.
The canine sarcoptic mange can be transmitted
from dog to man. The dog, man’s best companion, acts as a transport host for
this ectoparasite. The dog is offering significant benefit to mankind but also
poses a potential health risk. All kind of dogs (owned and stray dogs) are
involved in disease transmission; even though the particular implication of
each population is not clearly established [2]. The uncontrolled population of
stray and semi-domesticated dogs in close proximity to increasing densities of
human population in the urban environment is a common fact in developing
countries which in conjunction with the lack of veterinary attention and
zoonotic awareness increases the risk of disease transmission [3]. The
transmission of sarcoptic infestation from dog to human occurs mainly due to
intimate handling, playing and closes contact with infected dogs.
The human scabies
of animal origin is usually superficial, self-limiting and transient in nature,
which is characterized by the sudden appearance of lesions, intense pruritis,
papulo-vesicular eruption only in exposed parts of the body. There is an
absence of burrows and low recovery rate of mites from the lesions [4]. The
nutritionally deprived [4], occupationally exposed, overcrowded, poor [5],
patients of AIDS and patients under immuno-suppressant drug therapy [6] are
more prone to infestation. In the case of human beings, particularly pre-school
and school-aged children acquired the infestation from their pet puppies [7,8].
Experimentally induced canine scabies in human beings was also documented by
Estes et al. [9]. The infestation of canine scabies is widespread
in
distribution and causes
human
The other animals like sheep, goat, cattle,
buffalo, camel, rabbit, etc. are also affected by such dermatoses and they
further transmit the infestation to human beings [10]. The young animals are
most commonly affected. The infestation adversely effects on health,
productivity and economy of the country through high morbidity and even mortality
[7]. The cases of canine scabies have been reported to be transmitted from dogs
to the man from many parts of the world [8,11,12]. This communication reports
the transmission of canine scabies from dog to man.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A female dog aged four years was found nearby
the building of 2 MP R&V SQUDN NCC, Mhow, Malwa Plateau (Madhya Pradesh)
infested with pruritic dermatitis. The dog was basically a stray dog. On
detailed examination of dog, reddening, loss of hair, pruritus and severe
dermatitis was observed (Figure 1).
The skin scraping was made from the affected
areas of the dog, with the help of a blade along with mineral oil, by selecting
most active lesion. The scraping was taken to the Department of Veterinary
Public Health, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Mhow for
further examination. During the laboratory investigation, the scrapping was
placed on a glass slide, boiled with 10% potassium hydroxide solution, covered
with coverslip and examined for the mite infestation under low power objective
of the compound microscope.
Three local residents of the same building
were also reported the sudden onset of the pruritus along with transient
contact with an infested dog. They were quite severe and accompanied by the
discrete, tiny, erythematous, excoriated papules scattered over the body. The
papules were 2-4 mm in diameter and a few were surmounted with vesicles (Figure 2). The pruritus was especially
severe in the evening hours. The lesions appeared almost simultaneously in all
of the individuals. The scrapping from all the human patients was also made by using
the same technique as described previously. The diagnosis of the infestation
was confirmed by the history, clinical pattern, contact with an infested dog,
result of the microscopic examination of the scrapings and response to the
therapy.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
On laboratory investigation of the skin
scrapping, obtained from the dog, the Sarcoptes
scabiei, a scabies mite was easily demonstrated under the microscope (Figure 3). The skin scraping from all
the symptomatic human patients were found negative, no mite was seen on the
microscopic investigation. Earlier some researchers, observed a similar pattern
of the disease. They reported that canine scabies mite in the human do not show
any burrow in the skin of the patient and there was an absence of the specific
dermatologic image of scabies mite.
The dog was treated with the injection
Ivermectin @ 200 µg/kg body weight, subcutaneously. The human patients were
treated with the application of 1% Gamma Benzene Hexa Chloride along with 0.1%
cetrimide lotion. The treatment continued for four consecutive days. The
patients were advised to take a warm water bath followed by the application of
lotion on the entire body from neck to downward. They were advised to wear
clean clothes. There was a dramatic improvement in the patients within 48 h of
the treatment. The patients were also instructed to clean all the areas of the
dog’s habitat and further spraying with delta-methrine insecticide. Isolation
of the infested dog was also recommended.
CONCLUSION
Canine scabies transmitted from dog to human is
a contagious disease of immense public health importance as the micro-parasite
can survive in man even after a transient contact with the source of infection.
In the present investigation, tunnels were not observed in human patients as
the parasite were of canine origin hence could not burrow deep into the human
skin owing to their host specificity. The population at high risk group of this
evolving concern are veterinarians, kennel workers, pet owners and their
children, who frequently come in contact during their occupation and hobby with
the infested dogs and puppies. It is recommended to avoid the close contact
with such infested stray, wild, strange and exotic dogs and further proper
interventional measures should be adopted to prevent, control and eradicate the
problem as a whole.
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