The parasitology of human scabies

Abstract

1. An analysis has been made of the numbers and location of adult female Sarcoptes scabiei found on 886 men suffering from scabies2. The average number of mites per man was 11·3. 52% of the cases had under six mites and only 3·6% over fifty.3. 63% of the mites were found on the hands and wrists, 10·9% on the elbows, 9·2% on the feet, 8·4% on the genitals and 4% on the buttocks.4. So-called ‘severe’ cases of scabies, showing widespread clinical symptoms, may have very few parasites, whereas cases with few symptoms may have large mite populations.