Scabies in Low-Income Asian Countries, Specifically Vietnam; Full Review: Pathophysiology, Prevalence, Diagnosis, Prevention, Environment, and Treatment Outbreak.

This review article examines scabies, a highly contagious skin condition that is caused by a mite called Sarcoptes scabiei, which poses serious public health challenges in many developing countries. Annually affecting more than 300 million people globally, it yields substantial morbidity in low-income environments due to limited access to healthcare, diagnostic tools, and treatment options. In Vietnam, the high prevalence of scabies demonstrates these barriers, compounded by overcrowded living conditions and insufficient medical infrastructure. This review article summarizes current knowledge on the pathophysiology, prevalence, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of scabies, with a focus on Vietnam as a low-income country. Specific focus is given to comparing the 2020 International Alliance for the Control of Scabies (IACS) diagnostic criteria with the Simplified Criteria, analyzing their feasibility in low-income settings. The objective of this review is to identify sustainable strategies to improve scabies detection, treatment and prevention in developing countries while underscoring scalable approaches that can reduce disease burden and improve dermatological public health outcomes in Vietnam and beyond.