Linking the Life Cycle of Sarcoptes scabiei to Diagnosis, Treatment, and Control

Abstract

Scabies is a neglected tropical disease caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, with an annual incidence of 455 million cases. Despite its significant global burden, it remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, largely due to insufficient consideration of the parasite’s biological behavior. The mite’s life cycle, comprising egg, larval, nymph, and adult stages, plays a pivotal role in determining the success or failure of diagnostic and treatment strategies. Many conventional treatments do not effectively target all life stages, especially the egg stage, resulting in incomplete treatment and frequent reinfection. This literature review aims to critically examine the life cycle of S. scabiei and analyze how each developmental stage can inform more effective diagnostic, therapeutic, and public health responses. Understanding how the biology of the mite intersects with the timing and sensitivity of clinical interventions is essential for optimizing outcomes, highlighting the need for repeat treatments and the development of ovicidal agents or vaccines. By integrating insights from parasitology, immunology, and epidemiology, this review advocates for a multidisciplinary, life cycle–based framework to enhance early detection, improve treatment efficacy, and support sustainable control measures. When aligned with mass drug administration, hygiene promotion, and health education initiatives, such an approach offers synergistic potential to break transmission cycles and manage outbreaks more effectively. Advancing global scabies control will ultimately depend on embedding life cycle–informed strategies into both clinical practice and public health programs.