History

Background: Scabies is a widespread dermatological disorder that is commonly linked with pyoderma, particularly in warm climates and is the most prevalent dermatological infection in the world. This study aimed to detect scabies by microscopical and molecular methods to confirm that they may be caused by animal mites other than humans. Methods: This study was performed in order to identify scabies of humans by the microscopical examination and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test in the governorate of Al-Anbar in Iraq. In accordance with this purpose, 170 skin scrapings were collected from suspected patients, who attended Al-Ramadi Teaching Hospital in Iraq during the period of 1st December of 2021 to 1st April of 2022. The samples were subjected to smearing using the KOH-traditional method, which was followed by using microscopy to investigate the presence of mites, eggs, and/or egg shells. The samples also were used to DNA extraction by a special kit then the extracted DNA were used in PCR test that targeted the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) of Sarcoptes scabies. Results: The results of the direct smears showed the presence of mites in 100 (58.8%) of the tested samples. The PCR results revealed the detection of the cox1 gene of Sarcoptis scabies in 64 (64%) of the microscopically positive samples. Conclusion:The current study demonstrated higher levels of human scabies by the direct smear method than that by the PCR.