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PubMed1986

Permethrin 1% creme rinse for the treatment of Pediculus humanus var capitis infestation.

Permethrin 1% creme rinse (NIX) was tested as a treatment for Pediculus humanus var capitis (head lice) in a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized study. As a positive control, a third arm of the study included nonrandomized, but investigator-blinded, treatment with 1% lindane shampoo (Kwell). At 14 days after treatment, 97% of patients treated with permethrin were free of lice compared to 6% of placebo-treated patients (P less than 0.001) and 43% of the lindane-treated group. Permethrin was 70% ovicidal compared to 14% for placebo (P less than 0.001) and 45% for lindane. No adverse experiences were noted during this study. Permethrin 1% demonstrated high pediculicidal and ovicidal activities, which in combination with its low mammalian toxicity, residual activity, and cosmetic properties, make it an excellent treatment for pediculosis capitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

The effect of erythromycin on the growth of Rickettsia prowazekii in the body louse (Pediculus humanus corporis L) and the tick (Ornithodoros moubata Murray).

Body lice (Pediculus humanus corporis L) and ticks (Ornithodoros moubata) that had been infected with Rickettsia prowazekii received varying doses of erythromycin. The anti-rickettsial activity of this drug was evaluated with regard to the determination of the numbers of surviving microorganism (LID100) and the in vivo concentration of erythromycin in both arthropod hosts. Erythromycin was found to exert a rickettsiostatic effect in lice, whereas in ticks the drug at concentrations of 0.3--0.04 mug/mg body weight completely eliminated R. prowazekii.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Epidemiology of Pediculus humanus capitis infestation in Malaysian school children.

A survey of 308,101 primary school children in Peninsular Malaysia conducted in 1979 by the School Health Services, Ministry of Health, Malaysia, revealed that 10.7% of children were infested with Pediculus humanus capitis. The prevalence rate was higher in the economically less advanced states of Terenganu (34%), Kelantan (23%), and Perlis (21%) than in the other states (4-13%). Of 14,233 school children examined in the State of Melaka, 26% of Indians, 18.7% of Malays, 6.1% of Europeans, and 0.7% of Chinese had pediculosis. The prevalence rate, which has remained unchanged over the past 5 years, does not appear to vary with age but is higher in children with long hair and those from the lower socioeconomic groups. Boys have a lower infestation rate than do girls. The higher incidence in Indians and Malays correlates well with their lower socioeconomic status in the community, and their cultural habit of maintaining longer hair than do the Chinese. The difference become less apparent in the higher socioeconomic groups.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Presence of pediculosis in people living with children positive to Pediculus capitis (Anoplura: Pediculidae)].

In order to determine the frequency of pediculosis in persons living with children diagnosed as positive to Pediculus capitis in educational institutions of the "Carmelo" People's Council, the houses of 58 children who repeatedly had pediculosis from May to September, 1997 were visited. 14.54% of the 237 examined persons were positive (40 individuals). 82.5% were females. The mother was the most affected relative (32.5%). 30 positive children were matched by age, sex and grade with 30 negative children. People living together with the cases had a higher frequency of pediculosis (12.4%) than those living with the controls (1.8%) (t = 3.49; p < 0.001). The examination and treatment, if necessary, of those persons living together with the school children with pediculosis was recommended.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Prevalence of head louse (Pediculus capitis) infestation among inhabitants of the Niger Delta.

The prevalence of head louse Pediculus capitis Deg. among inhabitants of the Niger Delta was investigated. 5.7% of 7,360 subjects harboured head lice. The infestation was highest among the 6-13 year age group (13.5%) and decreased progressively with increase in age of the subjects. Overall, more female subjects than male subjects harboured lice. The present study establishes the need for anti-louse campaign in the study area to reduce human sufferings caused by head louse particularly among children of primary and post-primary school age.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

A comparative study on the efficacy of 0.4% Sumithrine and 1% Lindane in the treatment of Pediculus humanus capitis in Turkey.

Two different chemicals were used in the treatment of Pediculus h. capitis in cases, who were found to be infested during the screening of 1 secondary and 3 elementary schools in Bostanli-Karsiyaka, Izmir. Sumithrine was found to be more effective than Lindane according to the follow up control performed a month after the treatment. While the efficacy of Sumithrine in Emlakbank elementary school, Metin Asikoglu elementary school and Emlakbank secondary school was noted as 93%, 96% and 86.8% respectively. The efficacy of Lindane was found to be 67.5% in Murside Akyuz elementary school.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[Back again: the clothes louse (Pediculus humanus var. corporis)].

In two homeless men aged 38 and 32 years, who suffered from itching, infestation with body lice (Pediculus humanus var. corporis, a.k.a. clothes lice) was diagnosed. This infestation is rare in the Netherlands. In 1993 and 1994 and infection with body lice was registered 41 times in 31 patients at the clinic for homeless of the Community Health Service of Utrecht. The body louse can be seen by the naked eye. Treatment is by hygienic measures, pediculicides if necessary, and by prevention. Important to recognize is that P. humanus can be the vector of trench fever (Bartonella quintana), relapsing fever and typhus.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The prevalence of pediculus humanus capitis among the students of a secondary and three elementary schools in Karsiyaka-Izmir, Turkey.

During November-December 1993, 5347 students of a secondary and 3 elementary schools in Bostanli-Karsiyaka, where socio-economic and cultural status are relatively high, were examined for pediculosis capitis. In 225 students (4.2%) eggs and/or adults were detected. 181 (4.14%) out of 4365 elementary school students and 44 (4.48%) out of 982 secondary school students were infested with Pediculus humanus capitis. Comparison with results of previous results are shown in the text.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Permethrin-resistant human head lice, Pediculus capitis, and their treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the pediculicidal activity of Ovide lotion and its active ingredient, 0.5% malathion, with Nix and its active ingredient, 1% permethrin, in permethrin-resistant head lice. DESIGN: In vitro pediculicidal product and active ingredient comparison. The presence of knockdown resistance-type mutations (T929I and L932F) was validated by DNA sequencing. SETTING: University of Massachusetts-Amherst; University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Fla; Plantation and Homestead, Fla; and Mathis, Tex. OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Lice were collected in 3 geographical regions within the United States and in Yamburara, Ecuador, from healthy but infested individuals. Intervention Within 3 to 6 hours of collection, lice were given a blood meal, exposed to products or active ingredients, and observed at regular intervals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Percent mortality of lice at regular intervals after exposure to products or active ingredients and presence of T929I and L932F mutations. RESULTS: South Florida lice exhibited a significantly slower mortality response to permethrin compared with susceptible Ecuadorian lice. Ovide and malathion killed permethrin-resistant lice faster than Nix or permethrin. The presence of T929I and L932F in permethrin-resistant south Florida lice was confirmed by DNA sequencing. The population of Texas lice from Mathis was slightly resistant to permethrin and included 13% with resistant genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of the T929I and L932F mutations was confirmed by DNA sequencing in lice collected from children in south Florida that were resistant to the pediculicidal effects of permethrin and the leading permethrin-based head lice product, Nix. Malathion resistance was not observed in this study. The data also show that Ovide killed these same permethrin-resistant head lice approximately 10 times faster than permethrin or Nix.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Potential role of head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis, as vectors of Rickettsia prowazekii.

Since the pioneering work of Charles Nicolle in 1909 [see Gross (1996) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 93:10539-10540] most medical officers and scientists have assumed that body lice are the sole vectors of Rickettsia prowazekii, the aetiological agent of louse-borne epidemic typhus (LBET). Here we review the evidence for the axiom that head lice are not involved in epidemics of LBET. Laboratory experiments demonstrate the ability of head lice to transmit R. prowazekii, but evidence for this in the field has not been reported. However, the assumption that head lice do not transmit R. prowazekii has meant that head lice have not been examined for R. prowazekii during epidemics of LBET. The strong association between obvious (high) infestations of body lice and LBET has contributed to this perception, but this association does not preclude head lice as vectors of R. prowazekii. Indeed, where the prevalence and intensity of body louse infections may be high (e.g. during epidemics of LBET), the prevalence and intensity of head louse infestations is generally high as well. This review of the epidemiology of head louse and body louse infestations, and of LBET, indicates that head lice are potential vectors of R. prowazekii in the field. Simple observations in the field would reveal whether or not head lice are natural vectors of this major human pathogen.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Home remedies to control head lice: assessment of home remedies to control the human head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis (Anoplura: Pediculidae).

As the frequency and level of pediculicide resistance increases throughout the world, the need for novel solutions to control pediculosis has intensified. The development and registration of new pesticides has become so costly that many chemical companies are unwilling to pursue it and health-care providers now face a serious lack of new commercial pediculicides. Many infested people resort to using "home-remedy" approaches that have not been scientifically tested. In this article, we examined the potential value of six purportedly effective "home remedies" (vinegar, isopropyl alcohol, olive oil, mayonnaise, melted butter, and petroleum jelly) to treat head louse infestations and the likelihood of drowning lice by water submersion. Results indicated that only the application of petroleum jelly caused significant louse mortality but no treatment prevented lice from laying eggs. Most home remedy products did little to kill eggs, despite prolonged exposure. Petroleum jelly caused the greatest egg mortality, allowing only 6% to hatch. It was extremely difficult to drown lice, despite extended periods (i.e., 8 hr) of water submersion, suggesting that killing lice by depriving them of oxygen is inefficient. None of the home remedy products we surveyed was an effective means of louse control. This suggests that when treatment failure occurs, an increased amount of time and effort should be focused on alternative chemical pediculicides and/or manual louse removal (i.e., combing) rather than using any of these products.

2-Propanol↗
PubMed2003

Transcriptome identification of putative genes involved in protein catabolism and innate immune response in human body louse (Pediculicidae: Pediculus humanus).

Genomics information relating to human body lice is surprisingly scarce, and this has constrained studies of their physiology, immunology and vector biology. To identify novel body louse genes, we used engorged adult lice to generate a cDNA library. Initially, 1152 clones were screened for inserts, edited for removal of vector sequences and base pairs of poor quality, and viewed for splicing variations, gene families and polymorphism. Computational methods identified 506 inferred open reading frames including the first predicted louse defensin. The inferred defensin aligns well with other insect defensins and has highly conserved cysteine residues, as are known for other defensin sequences. Two cysteine and five serine proteinases were categorized according to their inferred catalytic sites. We also discovered seven putative ubiquitin-pathway genes and four iron metabolizing deduced enzymes. Finally, glutathione-S-transferases and cytochrome P450 genes were among the detoxification enzymes found. Results from this first systematic effort to discover human body louse genes should promote further studies in Phthiraptera and lice.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Persistent head lice following multiple treatments: evidence for insecticide resistance in Pediculus humanus capitis.

Viable head lice were found on the scalps of two family members following multiple topical insecticide treatments. The possibility of reinfestation had been reliably excluded. Persistent infestation could be diagnosed only after cutting the hair and combing repeatedly, which allowed visualization of juvenile (nymphal) and adult lice. Insecticide-resistant headlouse infestations are probably much more common than is generally realised and may persist unnoticed, so that more aggressive approaches will be needed to eradicate these ectoparasites from individuals and communities.

Animals↗