rome and Scabies

In the Institute of Dermatology of the University of Rome 'La Sapienza' (IDURLS) from 1989 to 1994, 2198 immigrants from countries outside the European Community were seen as out-patients. Their personal and pathological data were collected by a particular software 'Questio', set up together with colleagues of the Interdepartimental Center for Scientific Calculous (ICSC) of the University of Rome 'La Sapienza'. The number of patients has been increasing from 326 in 1989 to 436 in 1994. Most of the people were coming from Africa, but from 1989 to 1994 the number of patients from the regions of ex-Yugoslavia has been increasing. About one third of the immigrants were unemployed, whereas 40% of them had a job (worker or employee), and the remaining 20% was composed by students and housewives. Most immigrants (1474 patients) were 20-39-year-old. Their data were compared with those of a control group composed by 2100 Italian people of the same age and sex, seen as out-patients in IDURLS in the same period. The most frequent skin disorders observed in immigrants were skin infectious or parasitic diseases, above all scabies. Excluding people with scabies, both immigrants and Italian patients shared the same skin diseases typical of young adult people: many fungal infections, many contact dermatitis and very few skin malignant tumors.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Africa; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Child; Child, Preschool; Dermatomycoses; Emigration and Immigration; Employment; Female; Humans; Infant; Italy; Male; Middle Aged; Outpatients; Rome; Scabies; Skin Diseases; Skin Neoplasms; Software; Spouses; Students; Unemployment; Yugoslavia

In the third part of article (first was published in Wiad. Parazytol. 32, 3-10 and second in Wiad. Parazytol. 33, 3-7, 1987) the authors quote fragments of the work of L. J. Columella (books: VI and VII) concerning scabies of domestic animals. The paper is provided with a wide, vet.-parasitological comment.

Topics: Animals; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; History, Ancient; Horse Diseases; Horses; Rome; Scabies; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Veterinary Medicine

For many centuries a host of naturalists, savants, physicians and veterinarians have tried to unravel the etiology of scabies in humans and animals and to discover effective remedies to control it. After many attempts, success was achieved in the discovery of the parasitic etiology of the disease in the 15th century. Also, major advances with regard to the treatment of the disease were made during the 19th and 20th centuries. Today the prevalence of epidemic scabies in humans has diminished; on the other hand, good progress in the control of mange of livestock has been made only in a few countries including Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.A.

Topics: Animals; Bible; History, 15th Century; History, 16th Century; History, 17th Century; History, 18th Century; History, 19th Century; History, Ancient; History, Medieval; Humans; Rome; Scabies

Topics: Cerebrovascular Disorders; Disease; Dreams; Gout; Greece; History, 17th Century; History, 18th Century; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; History, Ancient; Humans; Rome; Scabies