Scabies in Spain: Trends in Public Interest and Ectoparasiticide Use

Abstract

Scabies is an ectoparasitic dermatosis caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis mite, which lives and reproduces in humans. Its incidence in Spain has increased in recent years. The aim of this study was to complement existing evidence on the increasing number of scabies cases in our country by analyzing changes in ectoparasiticide prescriptions and Internet searches for scabies infestations measured by Google Trends. We also examined correlations between these two variables. Our results show that public interest in scabies has increased in recent years and is positively and significantly correlated with an increasing use of ectoparasiticides. We believe that Google Trends should be considered as a complementary tool for monitoring real-time trends in scabies infestations in Spain.

Keywords: Epidemiology; Epidemiología; Escabiosis; Google Trends; Infodemiology; Infodemiología; Interés público; Mites; Public interest; Sarna; Scabies.