Scabies Outbreak Among Healthcare Workers and Scabies Associated with Healthcare Services

INTRODUCTION: Scabies associated with healthcare services can lead to significant morbidity in healthcare workers. Our study aims to present our experience with a scabies outbreak originating from a hospitalized patient and affecting our healthcare workers, and to propose infection control methods recommended for scabies related to healthcare services.
METHODS: The scabies outbreak among healthcare workers at our hospital was evaluated from August 16th to September 6th. The study included healthcare workers who provided care to a patient diagnosed with scabies on July 21, 2022.
RESULTS: Surveillance was initiated due to scabies diagnosis in two nurses working at our Hospital's Rheumatology Clinic on August 16th and 17th, 2022. These nurses were treated with a topical ointment containing sulfur+vegetable tar and were given seven days off. All Rheumatology service staff started using personal protective equipment for contact isolation, avoiding direct skin contact, and maintaining hand hygiene. All service furniture was cleaned using a high vacuum cleaner, and terminal cleaning and disinfection were applied to the entire service area. Under these measures, a total of five nurses and one doctor were diagnosed with scabies. File review conducted in the clinic revealed a patient had been diagnosed with scabies during their admission on July 21, 2022. No new scabies cases were reported in the following two months under infection control measures and practices.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Raising awareness of scabies diagnosis among healthcare workers, early diagnosis and treatment, full compliance with infection control measures, surveillance, and prophylaxis are important for scabies related to healthcare services.