The parasitology of human scabies (women and children)

Abstract

In a previous paper (Johnson & Mellanby, 1942) an account was given of the numbers ot adult female Sarcoptes and their distribution in 886 cases of scabies. These cases were all adult males and it was desired to complete the study by a similar analysis of the parasitic infection in women and children. The following is an account of the numbers and distribution of mites in 119 women and eighteen children. Owing to the small number of children these figures are only suggestive. As described in the previous paper the mites are first located with the help of a watchmaker's lens and the parasite is then extracted with a mounted needle. Only adult females are extracted. The number of parasites per case is called ‘the parasite rate’.