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Therapeutic potential of tea tree oil for scabies
Citation
Thomas, J and Carson, CF and Peterson, GM and Walton, SF and Hammer, KA and Naunton, M and Davey, RC and Spelman, T and Dettwiller, P and Kyle, G and Cooper, GM and Baby, KE, Therapeutic potential of tea tree oil for scabies, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 94, (2) pp. 258-66. ISSN 0002-9637 (2016) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
© 2016 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
DOI: doi:10.4269/ajtmh.14-0515
Abstract
Globally, scabies affects more than 130 million people at any time. In the developed world, outbreaks in health institutions and vulnerable communities result in a significant economic burden. A review of the literature demonstrates the emergence of resistance toward classical scabicidal treatments and the lack of effectiveness of currently available scabicides in reducing the inflammatory skin reactions and pyodermal progression that occurs in predisposed patient cohorts. Tea tree oil (TTO) has demonstrated promising acaricidal effects against scabies mites in vitro and has also been successfully used as an adjuvant topical medication for the treatment of crusted scabies, including cases that did not respond to standard treatments. Emerging acaricide resistance threatens the future usefulness of currently used gold standard treatments (oral ivermectin and topical permethrin) for scabies. The imminent development of new chemical entities is doubtful. The cumulative acaricidal, antibacterial, antipruritic, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing effects of TTO may have the potential to successfully reduce the burden of scabies infection and the associated bacterial complications. This review summarizes current knowledge on the use of TTO for the treatment of scabies. On the strength of existing data for TTO, larger scale, randomized controlled clinical trials are warranted.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | scabies, tea tree oil |
| Research Division: | Biomedical and Clinical Sciences |
| Research Group: | Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences |
| Research Field: | Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics |
| Objective Division: | Health |
| Objective Group: | Clinical health |
| Objective Field: | Clinical health not elsewhere classified |
| UTAS Author: | Peterson, GM (Professor Gregory Peterson) |
| UTAS Author: | Naunton, M (Dr Mark Naunton) |
| UTAS Author: | Dettwiller, P (Dr Pascale Dettwiller) |
| ID Code: | 113916 |
| Year Published: | 2016 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 28 |
| Deposited By: | Medicine |
| Deposited On: | 2017-01-27 |
| Last Modified: | 2018-03-08 |
| Downloads: | 94 View Download Statistics |
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