Vol. 8, Issue - 2, Part B (2024)

Scabies is a contagious, parasitic skin disease affecting millions of people globally with all age groups and races and has widespread distribution with variable impact. It is a parasitic infestation of the skin (itching dermatosis) which is mainly characterized by epidermal burrows and is caused by female mite Sarcoptes scabiei and its products.

Typical indicators of scabies involve generalized itching, which worsen during night, and appearance of abnormal skin lesions, such as, nodules, papules etc., on the wrists, finger webs, axillae, genital area and abdominal wall. Mostly, it affects people with weak immune systems, and those who are economically marginalized and living in poorly developed areas. Furthermore, it also has a great potential of causing largescale nosocomial outbreaks with significant morbidity among healthcare workers and patients. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) has now recognized scabies as among the neglected tropical disease (NTD) and has included this infestation into the integrated programs of mass drug administration for NTDs. In the Unani concept of medicine, scabies is referred to as “jarb”, which has been studied in detail by several imminent Unani physicians, who have not only described the clinical features, but also discussed the etiopathogenesis, and effective management of the infestation. In this review, we mainly summarize the cause of the infestation, its prevalence, incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases. The review also covers the Unani perspective of the scabies or jarb which covers the diagnosis, management and treatment methods according to the Unani concept of medicine. Additionally, the advancements in the modern medicine for the treatment of this skin condition is also highlighted. Apart from this, various aspects of patient management strategies including, mechanism of action, available diagnostic tools, application of therapeutic combinations etc., for dealing with scabies have also been discussed briefly. Overall, by the inclusion of various references which also include the studies involving Unani concept of treatment of scabies, this review covers, in detail, the most important aspects of the underrated skin infestation ie, “scabies” in both modern and Unani medicine.