The impact of our research
In some areas of Australia, scabies affects around 25% of the population. There is no vaccine, and current drugs don’t control the disease effectively. It’s also highly contagious and difficult to diagnose early, making advancements in medical research critical.
QIMR Berghofer researchers are developing new treatments to reduce infection rates and improve health outcomes.
We’re leading an international program to understand what scabies does to the microbiome of healthy skin.
We’re investigating the interaction between mites and bacteria.
About scabies and associated bacterial infections
Scabies is a skin infestation caused by tiny mites. This parasitic infection affects humans and some animals.
Globally, scabies can lead to significant illness and even death. In the tropics, scabies can cause secondary opportunistic bacterial infection. This can lead to:
- cellulitis/necrotising fasciitis
- bacteraemia
- renal disease
- rheumatic fever
- heart disease.
Scabies is caused by a microscopic sarcoptes scabiei mite. Scabies mites burrow into the outer layer of the skin, where they lay eggs. This leads to intense itching and discomfort.
Mites are transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and infested bedding, clothing, and furniture.
The mites can survive away from the human body for a short period, making transmission easier.
While scabies can affect people of all ages, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds, it’s more common in crowded or close-contact environments. This includes settings such as schools, nursing homes, and prisons.
In many Aboriginal communities in northern Australia, scabies is endemic. In some areas, up to 25% of the population is affected. This infection rate increases for young children, with up to 35% affected.
The primary symptoms of scabies are:
- intense itching, which is often worse at night
- red rash
- small red bumps
- tiny, thread-like burrows in the skin.
Scabies occurs across Australia and is widespread in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Indigenous Australians are prone to very high rates of complicated skin-borne infections with opportunistic pathogens. It’s a similar situation in many other areas around the world with limited health resources.
While scabies can be treated with topical creams or lotions, current drugs often fail because they don’t kill mite eggs and have short half-lives. A short half-life means the mite continues progressing through its life cycle after the drug stops working.
Mites are also becoming resistant to some drugs, so new acaricides (drugs that kill mites and ticks) are needed.
Early diagnosis is difficult and brings significant challenges. Without reliable, sensitive, and simple diagnostic tools, it can be hard to distinguish scabies from other skin conditions with similar symptoms.
Delayed diagnosis causes rapid transmission in overcrowded living conditions.