VCOM Louisiana Research Day Program

COVID-19 & Epidemiology

Ariana Faraji, OMS-III; Faith Sharp, OMS-III; Gwenn Jackson, MD, FACOG, CPE Department of International Affairs and Research, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Louisiana, Monroe, Louisiana 40 WEATHER PATTERNS ON THE INCIDENCE OF SCABIES IN A PEDIATRIC POPULATION

Context/ Significance: Scabies significantly affects millions of individuals worldwide. The Sarcoptes scabiei var. Hominis , also known as scabies, is a parasite known for burrowing into the skin and causing a dermatologic rash. The parasite is often spread through crowded and unsanitary conditions. 3 More understanding of this parasite’s incidence in the population in correlation to seasonal changes will allow physicians to provide preventative care that focuses on the whole patient. Hypothesis: In this study, the question we addressed was whether seasonal weather patterns affect the incidence of scabies infestations. Our study focuses on scabies afflicting vulnerable pediatric populations in the Dominican Republic. In children, there is an estimated average prevalence of 5-10%, and recurrent infestations are common in children. 1 It remains one of the most common skin diseases in developing countries. 2 Research Methods: We collected data from CREDO, a database system that allows to report medical encounters. We focused on a time frame between 2018 and 2019 and collected data on patients between the ages of zero (neonates) to 18 years of age. Cases were identified using ICD10 codes and we collected data in Punta

Cana, Dominican Republic. Of the total 1,072 entries of scabies infestations in the database, 112 patients met the criteria, which included 55 males and 57 females. Seasonal climate data points were obtained from the Punta Cana International Airport statistics, which included maximum and minimum monthly temperatures. Results: Based on the data analysis, we determined the presence of a small correlation between average monthly temperatures and encounters of scabies at the rural clinics in the Dominican Republic. The correlation between the number of cases and the max temp was calculated to be r = -0.09293. The correlation between the number of cases and the min temperature was calculated to be r = 0.03. The p-value calculated was <0.0001, deeming the data statistically significant. Conclusion: From this study’s data, we can conclude that there is a correlation between temperature and incidence of scabies infestation in pediatric populations. Scabies is an underappreciated and under-researched infectious disease that could be easily prevented with more knowledge of parasitic habits. When analyzing the correlations from the study’s data set, the opposing values lead us to believe there is an optimal temperature for

scabies infestation between the range of 72ºF to 85ºF. However, further workup and analysis needs to be completed to determine the exact temperatures and conditions best suited for scabies to thrive. With this information, there is potential to implement epidemiologic protocols in order to decrease the spread of scabies infestation and improve the quality of life for pediatric populations in underserved areas of the Dominican Republic.

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