Associate Scientist The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station New Haven, Connecticut
Delusional Infestation (DI) is a somatic and psychiatric illness characterized by patients holding a monothematic tenacious and often fixed belief in an infestation of their skin, body, or immediate environment which is not supported by objective medical evidence. Many people with DI loose insight and challenge the lack of objective findings of infestation therefore making treatment difficult. In their searches for a cure, many DI patients "doctor shop" and seek numerous medical and academic professionals for help. Without appropriate care many patients linger for years. Following the 2020 DI symposium held virtually at the ESA annual meeting it was decided a book should be written by the 13 presenters primarily aimed at physicians. Other impacted professions are also included in the book. It will provide information and techniques to care for these complex and often high functioning patients. Titled "The Physicians Guide to Delusional Infestation" it brings together a number of professions that until recently worked in isolation from one another. These professions include Entomology, Veterinary Entomology, Extension, Epidemiology, Clinical Parasitology, Psychiatry, Psychodermatology, Dermatopathology, Dermatology, Journalism, and the Pest Management Profession. By working together as a "village of professionals" appropriate care for DI patients is achieved. DI patient care requires a multidisciplinary approach to achieve success. This presentation is a report on our work and the progress in DI treatment in North America and Europe.