{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T18:05:15Z","timestamp":1787681115033,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,2]],"date-time":"2023-06-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1685664000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This retrospective observational study describes the results of an ad-hoc designated prevention protocol aimed at containing the spread of the scabies infestation among healthcare workers (HCWs) of a large University Hospital in Italy. The outbreak started on October 2022 and a preventive protocol was set up thanks to a multidisciplinary approach. HCWs at high scabies risk were defined as subjects working in Operative Units with a scabies prevalence higher than 2%, close contacts of a confirmed case of scabies, or HCWs with signs and symptoms of the disease. All cases at high scabies risk underwent a dermatological examination, and the infested HCWs were suspended from work until definitive healing. Mass drug administration was established for all HCWs working in Operative Units with a scabies prevalence higher than 2%. Until March 2023, out of 183 screening dermatological examinations, 21 (11.5%) were diagnostic for scabies. Between 11 October 2022 (date of the first diagnosed scabies case) and 6 March 2023 (the end of incubation period related to the last case detected), the frequency of scabies was 0.35% (21 scabies cases\/6000 HCWs). The duration of the outbreak in our hospital was 14.7 weeks. Statistical analysis shows a significant association between scabies and being a nurse and having an allergy to dust mites. We obtained a low frequency of scabies infection, limiting the duration of the outbreak and the related economic burden.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm12113830","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,2]],"date-time":"2023-06-02T10:08:41Z","timestamp":1685700521000},"page":"3830","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Infection Control among Healthcare Workers and Management of a Scabies Outbreak in a Large Italian University Hospital"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9190-8537","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stefania","family":"Sponselli","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0553-5309","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luigi","family":"De Maria","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8872-6786","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonio","family":"Caputi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3279-0196","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pasquale","family":"Stefanizzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9659-0193","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesco Paolo","family":"Bianchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-4387-3432","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Delvecchio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Caterina","family":"Foti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paolo","family":"Romita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Ambrogio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Silvia","family":"Zagaria","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8234-2690","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gianmarco","family":"Giannelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4194-0210","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Silvio","family":"Tafuri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4072-2871","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luigi","family":"Vimercati","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2023, March 30). 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