Scabies gets its name from scabere, the Latin for “to scratch,” an apt description of a contagious infestation in which microscopic mites burrow into the skin, causing an intensely itchy rash. One of the oldest recorded medical conditions in human history, it still affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, with outbreaks regularly cropping up in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and other places where people are in close contact. The commonly used treatment involves topical permethrin, which may need to be applied more than once, and oral ivermectin, which is typically given in two doses because it does not always kill all the mites’ eggs.
In a new study, researchers based at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute developed a treatment designed to attack live mites and viable eggs at once. The topical combination eliminated both mite forms with a single application in pigs infected with scabies (Sci. Transl. Med. 2026, DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aeg5917).
