The history of scabies in veterinary and human medicine from biblical to modern times.

For many centuries a host of naturalists, savants, physicians and veterinarians have tried to unravel the etiology of scabies in humans and animals and to discover effective remedies to control it. After many attempts, success was achieved in the discovery of the parasitic etiology of the disease in the 15th century. Also, major advances with regard to the treatment of the disease were made during the 19th and 20th centuries. Today the prevalence of epidemic scabies in humans has diminished; on the other hand, good progress in the control of mange of livestock has been made only in a few countries including Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.A.