Explore the vast range of titles available.

Background Head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis , is an obligatory blood-sucking ectoparasite, distributed worldwide. Phylogenetically, it occurs in five divergent mitochondrial clades (A–E); each exhibiting a particular geographical distribution. Recent studies suggest that, as in the case of body louse, head louse could be a disease vector. We aimed to study the genetic diversity of head lice collected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and to screen for louse-borne pathogens in these lice. Methods A total of 181 head lice were collected from 27 individuals at the Monkole Hospital Center located in Kinshasa. All head lice were genotyped and screened for the presence of louse-borne bacteria using molecular methods. We searched for Bartonella quintana , Borrelia recurrentis , Rickettsia prowazekii , Anaplasma spp., Yersinia pestis , Coxiella burnetii and Acinetobacter spp. Results Among these head lice, 67.4% (122/181) belonged to clade A and 24.3% (44/181) belonged to clade D. Additionally, for the first time in this area, we found clade E in 8.3% (15/181) of tested lice, from two infested individuals. Dual infestation with clades A and D was observed for 44.4% individuals. Thirty-three of the 181 head lice were infected only by different bacterial species of the genus Acinetobacter . Overall, 16 out of 27 individuals were infested (59.3%). Six Acinetobacter species were detected including Acinetobacter baumannii (8.3%), Acinetobacter johnsonii (1.7%), Acinetobacter soli (1.7%), Acinetobacter pittii (1.7%), Acinetobacter guillouiae (1.1%), as well as a new potential species named “ Candidatus Acinetobacter pediculi”. Conclusions To our knowledge, this study reports for the first time, the presence of clade E head lice in DR Congo. This study is also the first to report the presence of Acinetobacter species DNAs in human head lice in DR Congo.

Background: Pediculosis, caused by Pediculus spp is an important public health problem in urban and rural areas around the world. Natural compounds such as plant essential oils (EOs) have been suggested as a potential alternative for insect pest control recently. The purpose of this study was to investigate the toxicity of Foeniculum vulgare essential oil against the head louse, Pediculus capitis under laboratory conditions. Methods: Fennel essential oil components were analyzed using GC-mass apparatus. Immersion and contact filter paper bioassays were used to evaluate fennel essential oil toxicity at the two-fold concentrations of 2.5, 5, 10, 20, and 40% against nit and nymph/adult stages of the head louse. Results: Trans-anethole, α-Thujone, and limonene, which consisted of 76.08%, 10.37%, and 5.34% were the most com­ponents of fennel oil respectively. The LC50 values for the adult /nymphs were 11.5, 6.4, 3.9, 3.1 and 2.5% and LC99 values were 29.5, 15.2, 12.8, 10.8, and 7.4% at 10, 20, 30, 45 and 60 minutes after exposure respectively. The le­thal times (LT50) for adults/nymphs were 5.2, 8.1, 9.5, 20.5, and 45.8 minutes and LT99were 138.6, 91.3, 23.8, 21.7, and 13.9 minutes in the concentrations of 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 40%, respectively. LC50 and LC99 values were 2.32% and 7.36% after 5 days for the eggs. Conclusion: Fennel essential oil at the concentration of 15% after 20min is suggested to develop as an appropriate for­mulation to evaluate in clinical trials.

The rate of head louse infestations is increasing. Most of the neurotoxic treatments are not reliably ovicidal and are faced with genetic resistance. The treatments based on a mechanical mode of action show no sufficient efficacy, transferring the chances of a cure on a tedious combing or leaving the hair fatty. This double-blinded, randomized, controlled, superiority trial evaluates the efficacy and safety of a novel mixture made of semi-crystalline polymers and plant extracts. Forty-five participants received a single application of either 1% Permethrin lotion or the novel lotion, applied for 15 minutes. Untreated and treated nits were collected and placed in an incubator during 10 days. The worst case intent-to-treat analysis found the novel lotion significantly more effective than 1% Permethrin, with 21/22 (95.5%) participants cured and 9/23 (39.1%), respectively (p < 0.0001). Rate of viable nymphs was 0.5 (2.1) for the new lotion and 40.8 (20.4) for the 1% Permethrin. The new lotion cures head louse infestations, offering an effective alternative treatment, with a high efficacy for inhibiting the hatching of eggs. Its physical actions on lice and their eggs should not be affected by resistance to neurotoxic insecticides.

Introduction: Pediculosis is a parasitic disease that can spread among children but it can also affect adults. It is not necessarily the result of neglected or poor hygiene. Infection with head lice can occur not only in large clusters of children but also in salons providing cosmetic or hairdressing services. Despite easy access to various pharmacological agents, pediculosis can be a challenging problem to combat.Case report: The paper presents a case of a 4-year-old boy in whom the methods of eliminating lice, used independently by his mother at home, ended in failure each time. The family turned to a trichologist for help. Conclusions: Supporting the diagnosis with the use of a micro--camera can eliminate misdiagnosed cases of head lice in the presence of dandruff, scabs, or various types of scalp impurities. This will be important in preventing the unnecessary implementation of treatment, which may change the resistance patterns of lice to agents generally available in pharmacies, thus affecting the effectiveness of head lice treatment.

Head lice infestation remains one of the most common child problems. This problem is not only attributed to the ability of head lice to spread rapidly but also because of the head lice resistance that develops from incomplete or improper treatment. Pyrethroids are a group of medications that have been widely used for the treatment of head lice. However, in recent years, several countries reported knockdown resistance (kdr). The aim of this study is to evaluate the frequency of pyrethroid-resistant mutations in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. To do that, Sanger sequencing was employed to find the frequency of mutated alleles in the voltage-sensitive sodium channel gene (VSSC). The result showed that the frequency of the resistant alleles in T917I was 0.83. In addition, three new mutations (L920F, V966F, and F967L) were detected in the examined samples. These findings highlight the significant prevalence of pyrethroid-resistant mutations, which may be attributed to the cultural and tourism openness that leads to the abundance of numerous job opportunities for different workforces from all around the world.

This study examined the population structure of head and body lice infesting a random sample of people in Pokhara, Nepal during 2003, 2004, and 2005. A total of 106 participants (6 to 72 yr old, median = 12) volunteered to have lice collected from their heads and clothing. Most participants (70%) harbored only head lice, some (15%) had only body lice, and some (15%) had concurrent infestations of head and body lice (dual infestations). A total of 1,472 lice was collected. Significantly more nymphs were collected than adult lice. Louse populations were generally small (geometric mean = 8.8 lice per person) but a few participants harbored larger louse populations (maximum = 65 lice). People with dual infestations harbored significantly more lice than people with single infestations; however, there was no difference in the infestation intensities between people infested with head lice only vs. those infested with body lice only. Male participants harbored significantly more lice than did females. There were no significant differences in infestation intensity due to participant age or their socioeconomic level. The sex ratio of adult lice was increasingly female biased with increasing adult louse density. Infection of lice with Bartonella quintana was low (ca. 1.5%). Pediculosis is a common problem in urban Nepal.

Head lice is a major public health problem worldwide. Its treatment is challenging due to product failures resulting from rapidly emerging resistance to existing treatments, incorrect treatment application, and misdiagnosis. Various head lice treatments with different mechanisms of action have been developed and explored over the years, with limited reports on systematic assessments of their efficacy and safety. The head lice shampoo currently in circulation is 1% permethrin-based. Side effects of using permethrin-based shampoos include skin irritation and high resistance. The research conducted aims to present strong evidence that the use of shampoo made from bangle rhizome extract against head lice mortality is safer to use. The study used 240 head lice taken from elementary school students aged 8-12 years in a school in Bekasi. The study group was divided into 6 groups: negative control group (using baby shampoo), positive control group (using permethrin-based anti-lice shampoo), shampoo treatment group made from bangle rhizome extract with dose of 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 4%. In addition to calculating the number of head lice deaths per group, the time of death was also calculated to determine LC50 (Lethal Concentration 50), LC90 (Lethal Concentration 90), LT50 (Lethal Time 50), and LT90 (Lethal Time 90). The results showed a highly significant difference between the number of head lice deaths in the control group and the shampoo treatment group made from bangle rhizome extract (p<0.01). Likewise, there was a highly significant difference for the time of death of head lice in the control group and the shampoo treatment group made from bangle rhizome extract. Statistical analysis showed LC50 of 0.96%, LC90 of 2.84%, LT50 of 57.72 minutes, and LT90 of 28.79 minutes. It can be concluded that the effective dose of shampoo made from bangle rhizome extract is 4%, which can kill 100% of head lice within 27 minutes.

Objective: Head lice infestation also known as a serious health problem in developing and developed countries. The prevalence of pediculosis in children and female is higher than others. The infestation may cause absence of student from school and make their parents upset. The aim of current study was to evaluate the WHO recommended insecticides for control  of  head lice in Islamshahr health center. Material & method: In the current study infested individuals was older than 6 years old and have been diagnosed with at least 3 head lice adult and 10 live nits from less than 0.7 cm scalp. The pediculicides was applied randomly among groups. Permethrin shampoo as a golden standard was used. Dimethicone lotion 4% and Ivermectin lotion was compared with it. This study was conducted on 179 infested people. Results of infestation were evaluated after one month of intervention. Different indicators such as: present of head lice adult or live nit, redness and irritating in head skin were invested. Result: All the participants were female and 72.6% of them were at the age group of 6-11. The result revealed that aging not only decreases the infection rate but also raised the recovery percentage. The results showed that 79.5% permethrin receiver, 83% of people who treated with Dimethicone lotion and 90.6% of  Ivermectin receiver had no head lice. There was no significant difference among these three pediculicides. Conclusion: There was no significant difference among tested pediculicides. Appropriate pediculicide can be selected   by training people.

Background This case report describes a rare instance of Pediculus humanus capitis infestation affecting the eyelashes of a 10-year-old boy, notable for its ocular implications and unique diagnostic challenges. Case presentation In November 2023, a 10-year-old Iranian boy from East Azerbaijan Province, northwest Iran, presented to the ophthalmologist with symptoms that included itching, eyelash adhesions, redness, and swelling around the eyes, along with small yellow spots on the eyelashes. The ophthalmological examination revealed no visual defects. An eyelash sample collected for analysis confirmed the presence of lice eggs and nymphs; lice were also found on the scalp. The treatment included tetracycline ointment. By the third day, the nymphs had been eradicated, but lice eggs remained. The remaining lice eggs were subsequently removed using forceps. Conclusions This case underscores the importance of considering parasitic infestations in patients with ocular symptoms and highlights the associated public health and hygiene implications.

Background Head lice infestation is a common public health problem that is most prevalent in primary school children throughout the world, especially in developing countries including different parts of Iran. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with head lice infestation and pediculicidal effect of 1% permethrin shampoo in primary schools girls of Bashagard County, one of the low socioeconomic areas in southeast of Iran. Methods In this interventional study six villages with similar demographical situations were selected and randomly assigned into intervention and control areas. In each area 150 girl students aged 7–12 years were selected randomly and screened for head lice infestation by visual scalp examination. In intervention area, treatment efficacy of 1% permethrin shampoo was evaluated via re-examination for infestation after one, two, and three weeks. Pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic and associated factors of head lice infestation. Results The prevalence of head lice infestation was 67.3%. There was significant association between head lice infestation and school grade, family size, parents’ literacy, bathing facilities, frequency of hair washing, and use of shared articles ( p  < 0.05). The effectiveness of 1% permethrin shampoo for head lice treatment was 29.2, 68.9, and 90.3% after the first, second, and third weeks, respectively. Conclusion The head lice infestation is a health problem in primary school girls of Bashagard County. Improvement of socioeconomic status and providing appropriate educational programs about head lice risk factors and prevention can be effective for reduction of infestation in this area. Trial registration This trial has been registered and approved by Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences ethical committee (Trial No.764). Trial registration date: March 17 2014.