This article is only available in the PDF format. Download the PDF to view the article, as well as its associated figures and tables.
To the Editor.—
Recent letters concerning the incidence of scabies in various populations have appeared in the Archives by Alexander (114:627, 1978) and by Rietschel et al (115:109-110,1979) and prompt this report. The Venereal Disease Clinic in Columbus, Ohio, has for several years accumulated a wealth of computerized data relating to patient visits that have included the diagnosis of scabies. The diagnosis was made by mite isolation in several cases or was a clinical diagnosis made by an examiner (often a dermatologist) well trained in the clinical manifestation of scabies. Declaration of race is self-proclaimed by the patient on a registration form. The overall clinic population is weighted toward the socioeconomically disadvantaged. Eighty percent of all patients were between 18 and 25 years of age, with a mean age of 22 years. Combined data for 1977 and 1978 are presented in the Table. For this central Ohio population, we conclude