This refers to the ad-info on scabies titled “Nasty things you can pick up from pets,” which appeared on Page A3 of the July 24 issue of the Inquirer.
I am a licensed dermatologist and would like to inform readers that the info on scabies is wrong. Humans do not get scabies from pets. There is a different species for humans, cats, dogs, etc. The ones from the dogs cannot reproduce in humans. They’re a different subspecies altogether.
This is a common inquiry from my patients, and I always correct them as some go to the extent of killing their dogs because of the infection.
I know it’s just an ad, but there are no other details in it. More information on scabies can be found on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website, specifically on its frequently-asked-questions about scabies.
—MARIA RHEA
LOMBOS-SERONDO, MD,