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An Outbreak of Scabies in a Long-Term Care Facility: The Role of Misdiagnosis and the Costs Associated With Control

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Gretha de Beer ,
Mark A. Miller ,
Lucie Tremblay  and
Johanne Monette
Gretha de Beer*
Affiliation:
Department of Nursing, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Mark A. Miller
Affiliation:
Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, McGill University–Université de Montréal Research Group on Integrated Services for Older Persons and Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Clinical Studies, Montreal, Canada
Lucie Tremblay
Affiliation:
Department of Nursing, Maimonides Geriatric Center, Montreal, Canada
Johanne Monette
Affiliation:
Division of Geriatric Medicine, SMBD-Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
*
RN, 24 Murray Park, 269 Gloudina Ave, Murraryfield 0184, South Africa ([email protected])
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Abstract

In August 2003, an outbreak of scabies was detected in a Canadianlong-term care facility. The outbreak was likely associated with 2index cases, 1 involving classic scabies and the other involving Norwegian scabies. The scabies control costs totaled CDN$200,000, and the facility received negative publicity for a short period after the outbreak.

Type
Concise Communications
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 27 , Issue 5 , May 2006 , pp. 517 - 518
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2006

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