Molecular diagnosis of scabies using a novel probe-based polymerase chain reaction assay targeting high-copy number repetitive sequences in the sarcoptes scabiei genome

Abstract

Background The suboptimal sensitivity and specificity of available diagnostic methods for scabies ham-pers clinical management, trials of new therapies and epidemiologic studies. Additionally, parasitologic diagnosis by microscopic examination of skin scrapings requires sample collection with a sharp scalpel blade, causing discomfort to patients and difficulty in children. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostic assays, combined with non-invasive sampling methods, represent an attractive approach. In this study, we aimed to develop a real-time probe-based PCR test for scabies, test a non-invasive sampling method and eval-uate its diagnostic performance in two clinical settings. Meth..