China Journal of Leprosy and Skin Diseases ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (10): 710-711.doi: 10.12144/zgmfskin202510710

• New and Re-epidemic Infectious Skin Diseases • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Epidemiological investigation of a scabies outbreak in a nursing home in Jinan City

YANG Yilin1,2,3, CHU Tongsheng1,2, CAI Lihao1,2, ZHANG Yong1,2, LI Jianke1,2, HUAI Pengcheng1,2, ZHANG Furen1,2   

  1. 1 Dermatology Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250022, China; 2 Shandong Provincial Institute of Dermatology and Venereology, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250022, China; 3 School of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250117, China
  • Online:2025-10-15 Published:2025-09-26

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Abstract: On March 10, 2024, a case of scabies in an elderly patient was confirmed in the dermatology outpatient department of our hospital. The patient said that many people in the nursing home have developed similar symptoms of severe itching. To control the potential outbreak of scabies, our hospital set up an investigation team to conduct an on-site epidemiological survey. A total of 32 persons, including all the elderly and nursing staff in the nursing home, underwent dermatological examinations, dermoscopy, and microscopic examinations. A total of 7 scabies patients were confirmed. The first case was an 86-year-old elderly woman who had been infected with scabies before moving into the nursing home. The nursing staff became infected while caring for the elderly, leading to the spread of scabies in the nursing home. All 7 patients were cured after treatment with 10% sulfur ointment. It is recommended that the nursing home conduct scabies screening for newly admitted elderly people, and that nursing staff take proper protective measures when caring for the elderly to avoid potential spread of the epidemic.

Key words: scabies, nursing home, epidemiological investigation