Dermatologist treated 388 cases of scabiasis

The country has the diagnostic capacity, specialists, and effective treatments against scabies or human scabies, a disease controlled with correct hygiene measures, dermatology authorities and specialists assured yesterday.

The professionals, grouped in the Dominican Society of Dermatology and the Dermatological and Skin Surgery Institute, made the statement in the face of information that reports the presence in Haiti of cases of a disease of “a form of skin infection similar to scabies,” which motivated the Dominican Ministry of Public Health to activate sentinel surveillance in the areas of most significant risk.

Present in the country
The Dermatology and Skin Surgery Institute “Dr. Huberto Bogaert Díaz” receives between 3 and 5 weekly cases of scabies or scabies in its services, especially in children and in hotter weather. Just in 2021 alone, its Department of Pediatrics treated 388 cases of children with skin conditions.

Víctor Pou, director of the Dermatological Institute, said that the condition is caused by a mite that lives on human skin and can arise if the person.

 You don’t sanitize as often as you should.

The female lays her eggs at night on the skin because she does not like the light, creating furrows in the skin and a lot of itching.

The specialist ruled out a contagion because “he shakes hands or greets someone.” He said that there is no clear information about what is happening in Haiti, so no guesses can be made, but if it is scabies, there is nothing to fear and that the important thing is to maintain hygiene. “We ask the authorities that if a suspicious case arrives, they send it to the institute because we have a way to diagnose it,” he added.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Dominican Society of Dermatology says it remains attentive to any call for support from the national authorities and the general population “regarding notice No. BH-04-22 2941 issued on April 14 of the current year by the Ministry of Health and Population of Haiti about a “form of skin infection similar to scabies” in various areas of that nation.

“We call on the Dominican population not to be alarmed yet by this early news. Our country has highly trained specialists to attend to any skin need”, indicates the entity chaired by Dr. Mariel Isa Pimentel. She explains that scabies or scabies, a disease mentioned in the statement as similar to the cases seen in Haiti, is a condition caused by a mite that can mainly cause pruritus (itching) predominantly at night.

THE DISEASE
Easy transmission
The Dermatological Institute indicates that it is easily transmitted from person to person, especially members of the same family; however, it has effective treatment and can be controlled with correct hygiene measures.

The entity points out that it is important to follow the guidelines and communications issued by the Ministry of Public Health and wait for the correct information.