Animal models in scabies: which are they? are they useful to optimize the therapeutic management of scabies?

Human scabies is a cutaneous parasitosis due to the microscopic mite Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis. The disease is a major public health concern, especially in tropical or subtropical countries. However, the therapeutic options remain limited and mainly include molecules for topical use. Ivermectin, a molecule of the macrocyclic lactone family, is the only oral molecule available. It has been proved to be efficient but a few failures have been reported Most of the molecules are not ovicidal and their half-live is shorter than the parasite life-cycle, meaning that a second applicationldose is needed Therefore, alternatives are required to be developed within a short time, especially for the treatment of children and in countries with high scabies prevalence, and with often limited resources. Veterinary molecules (such as those from the family of the macrocyclic lactones or the isoxazolines) are of interest for the control of human scabies. The development of experimental animal models has allowed the preclinical development of new acaricidal molecules. We recently had the opportunity to use a pig model of scabies.