Scabies outbreak among healthcare workers in a German acute care hospital.

ABSTRACT:

Background

This article reports on a scabies outbreak among healthcare workers (HCW) in an acute care hospital. The outbreak was associated with a patient suffering from a chronic skin disease that was later diagnosed as crusted scabies.

Objective

The objective was to determine the outbreak drivers and define a prevention strategy against future outbreaks.

Methods

All staff that had contact with the patient were treated with 5% permethrin ointment. An interdisciplinary outbreak investigation team was established. The team conducted a questionnaire-based case-control study.

Findings

After the permethrin treatment, no further case was found. Twenty-seven HCWs who had contact with the index patient answered the questionnaire (response rate 73%). The outbreak quest

SUBMITTER: Leistner R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5496690 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature