Working groups increase understanding of and confidence in working with suspected delusional infestation

Two working groups developed in succession materials to address delusional infestation (DI), a condition in which an individual falsely believes they, their home or vehicle are infested with insects, other parasites, or objects. The University of Tennessee One Health Initiative Delusional Parasitosis Working Group‘s educational materials served as a foundation for the  Southern Region Delusional Infestation Working Group to produce a combined factsheet/checklist, an Extension agent protocol, a guide to arthropods found in the home, a manual and a training presentation. As of April 2024, 17 DI presentations were offered to 9 Extension agent, 6 pest management professional (PMP) and 2 mixed (PMP, Extension agent, public health or other) audiences in 8 southern states. We documented a 102% increase in understanding of DI and a 137% increase in confidence to safely assist individuals with suspected delusional infestation. Education materials are currently posted on internal password-protected websites for Extension agents.