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Pediculosis caused by head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) infestation is still an important health problem in schoolchildren, especially girls, worldwide, including in Thailand. Although pediculicidal agents effectively kill head lice, the re-infestation rate is still high. Thus, prevention is an important strategy for any sustainable control program. We aimed to develop and evaluate the efficacy of a health education program for increasing knowledge, changing attitudes and promoting preventive practices to reduce prevalence of pediculosis among school girls in Amphoe Muang, Khon Kaen, northeastern Thailand. Six schools were selected using multistage simple randomization and were allocated into intervention or control groups. A total of 267 girls was enrolled from these schools. A \"knowledge, attitude and practice\" (KAP) questionnaire, consent forms and health education materials were constructed and tested by experts and in one pilot school before the main investigation. Baseline prevalence of adult lice and nits was determined. The health education package was given only to the intervention group. The KAP questionnaire was re-evaluated at two months after intervention. At baseline, the prevalence and intensity of head lice infestation, and the KAP scores did not differ significantly between the two groups. After re-evaluation at two months, the KAP score was significantly greater in the intervention group. A significant decrease of the infestation rate from 59% to 44% was observed in the intervention group, whereas infestation increased in the control group (from 56% to 65%). The incidence of new cases in the intervention group (6.14%) was lower than in the control group (12.62%). These findings indicated that the newly-established health education package is an effective tool for increasing KAP and reducing head lice infestation in school girls. Efforts to combat pediculosis in schoolchildren elsewhere may consider including this, or a similar, health education package in their programs.

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.

New treatments for head lice are needed. In this pair of randomized, controlled trials involving 765 patients, a single application of topical ivermectin had an efficacy of 94.9% on day 2 and 73.8% on day 15. Infestations of head lice ( Pediculus humanus capitis ) lead to social disruption by stigmatizing infested children and causing parental anxiety, loss of income because of the need to care for the child at home, and absenteeism from school or day care. 1 , 2 The first-line pediculosis treatments, permethrin and pyrethrins, belong to a chemical class to which there is now increasing resistance. 3 The established second-line treatments, lindane and malathion, have limitations related to safety and concerns about flammability and unpleasant odor. 4 Investigations of benzyl alcohol and spinosad, both recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the 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.

Seal lice ( Echinophthirius horridus ) are bloodsucking ectoparasites of phocid seals and vectors of pathogens like the heartworm, Acanthocheilonema spirocauda . Grey and harbour seal populations are recovering in German waters and wildlife health surveillance is crucial for wildlife conservation. A new, high effort sampling protocol for seal lice was applied for grey and harbour seals along the German North- and Baltic Sea coast. Freshly dead seals were systematically sampled within a health monitoring of stranded seals over 12 months. Prevalence, intensity and distribution patterns of seal lice were analysed. 58% of harbour seals ( n  = 71) and 70% of grey seals ( n  = 10) were infected with seal lice. A majority of harbour seals displayed mild levels of infection, while three were moderately and two were severely infected. The head was the preferred predilection site, indicating that E. horridus prefers body areas with frequent access to atmospheric oxygen. Nits and different developmental stages were recorded in all age classes in grey and harbour seals in all seasons. For the first time, copulating specimens of E. horridus were recorded on a dead harbour seal, highlighting that E. horridus reproduces throughout the year on seals of all age classes in German waters.

Animals defend themselves against parasites in many ways. Defenses, such as physiological immune responses, are capable of clearing some infections. External parasites that do not feed on blood, however, are not controlled by the physiological immune system. Instead, ectoparasites like feather-feeding lice (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) are primarily controlled by behavioral defenses such as preening. Here we test the hypothesis that birds able to preen are capable of clearing infestations of feather lice. We experimentally manipulated preening ability in a captive population of rock pigeons (Columba livia) that were infested with identical numbers of feather lice (Columbicola columbae or Campanulotes compar or both). We then monitored the feather louse infestations for 42 wk. Birds with impaired preening remained infested throughout the experiment; in contrast, the prevalence of lice on birds that could preen normally decreased by 50%. These data indicate that it is indeed possible for birds to clear themselves of feather lice, and perhaps other ectoparasites, by preening. We note, however, that captive birds spend more time preening than wild birds, and that they are less likely to be reinfested than wild birds. Thus, additional studies are necessary to determine under what circumstances wild birds can clear themselves of ectoparasites by preening.

BackgroundThis 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 presentationIn 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.ConclusionsThis case underscores the importance of considering parasitic infestations in patients with ocular symptoms and highlights the associated public health and hygiene implications.

We analyzed body lice collected from persons experiencing homelessness in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, during 2020-2021 to confirm vector species and ecotype and to identify louseborne pathogens. Of 556 lice analyzed from 7 persons, 17 louse pools (218 lice) from 1 person were positive for the louseborne bacterium Bartonella quintana.

A 59-year-old man presented with a 4-week history of severe itching in his pubic region after sexual contact with a new partner. On examination, nits and crab-shaped lice (shown in a video) were seen attached to pubic hairs.

There are limited treatments for head lice. In this multicenter, cluster-randomized trial of 812 patients in 376 households, oral ivermectin was found to be superior to topical malathion lotion in eradicating head-lice infestation. In this trial of 812 patients in 376 households, oral ivermectin was found to be superior to topical malathion lotion in eradicating head-lice infestation. Head lice are universal human parasites, affecting over 100 million people worldwide each year. In the developed world, children 3 to 11 years of age are most likely to be affected. 1 Since the withdrawal in 2007 of the Cochrane review of head-lice treatments, 2 the only review available is a systematic review 3 published in 1995; it concluded that sufficient evidence of efficacy existed only for the pyrethroid insecticide permethrin (1% formulation), which had a cure rate with a lower 95% confidence limit of more than 90%. However, because of emerging pyrethroid resistance, malathion (0.5% formulation), an organophosphate insecticide, is now widely . . .