The main objective of this proposed study is to identify unique DNA sequences within the genome of human scabies that can be utilized to identify the parasite through polymerase chain reaction or PCR. The goal of the project is to design an assay that can distinguish samples from skin scrapings containing scabies mites, eggs, or fecal material confirmed by clinic based microscopic evaluation (gold standard) from negative controls (i.e. scrapings for tinea and/or demodex folliculitis) that do not contain Sarcoptes scabiei. We hypothesize that specifically amplifying the unique regions of the Scabies genome using PCR can serve as a means to diagnosis infestations in humans. To address this question, we will optimize PCR amplification of known scabies samples then apply our procedure to DNA extracted from patient samples.
