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Abstract Arthropods represent close to 90% of all known animals in the wotld, and their bionlass probably exceeds that of all other life fonns. Several skin diseases can be caused by arthropods infestation including, pediculosis humanus capits or corporis. scabies, papular urticaria, Hebra’s prurigo and insect bites. AiIn of the study The ainl of our study was to determine the magnitude of different skin diseases related to arthropods among thc attendants of the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic of AI-MinY<l University Hospital and to find out characteristic fcatures or cases, pattern of distribution and determinants of these diseases. Subjects and Inethods A descriptive cross-sectional hospital-based study, which was conducted on 330 patients diagnosed by the staff mcmbcr responsible for the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic of AI-M inya University Hospital as suffering frolll arthropod-borne skin diseases fronl 144 p~t~ents attending the clinic for two fixed days weekly along the study period, from the first of Novcmbcr 2003 to the thirty of April 2004. Data were collected by a specially designed well-structured questionnaire, which asks the patient about personal history, socioeconolnic history, history of present illness, past 1J istory and family history. The present study reveals that arthropod-borne skin diseases represent 22.90/0 anlong the attendants of the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic of AI-Minya University Ilospital during thc period from the first of Noveillber 2003 to the thirty of April 2004, represented as pediculosis humanus capitis (9.6%), scabies (8.70/0) and papular urticaria (4.6%). Pediculosis hUlllanus capitis was the 1110st common arthropod-borne skin disease. It occurred in fet11ales (99.4~») more than nlales (0.6%) and the mean age affected was IO.J±2.1 years. Scabies occurred in males (60%) tnore than females (40%) with a tnean ’age of 23.9±20.1 years and lastly papular urticaria that occurred in males (85. I (Yo) more than females (14.9%) with a l11ean age of 6.3±2.8 years. |