Whether people can become infected by head lice transferring from inanimate objects is a topic of controversy. This paper reviews the evidence available from experimental studies in controlled laboratory experiments and data from field studies. The weight of evidence appears to be against transmission from inanimate objects being significant, and the promotion of inanimate objects that play an ...

BACKGROUND Acinetobacter baumannii has previously been detected and genotyped in human body lice. The objectives of this study were to determine the presence of this bacterium in head and body lice collected from healthy individuals in Ethiopia by molecular methods and to characterize the genotype. METHODS Human lice from locations at different altitudes in Ethiopia were screened for the pres...

Background: Head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis) is one of the common health problems of the children in elementary schools. The aim of this study was to determine risk factors associated with head lice (Pediculosis) infestation among elementary school students in Meshkinshahr County,  Northwestern Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytic study is done over 1,950 students (1,055...

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In poor African countries, where no medical and biological facilities are available, the identification of potential emerging pathogens of concern at an early stage is challenging. Head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis, have a short life, feed only on human blood and do not transmit pathogens to their progeny. They are, therefore, a perfect tool for the xenodiagnosis of current or recent human i...

BACKGROUND Health providers need to know which measures to take and children to prioritize in order to decrease costs associated with head lice infestations. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to determine the most important predictors for head lice and identify the major drivers of an infestation outbreak in a low-prevalence area. METHODS The study was based on three datasets of head lice prevalence (r...

Because topical compounds based on insecticidal chemicals are the mainstay of head lice treatment, but resistance is increasing, alternatives, such as herbs and oils are being sold to treat head lice. To test a commercial shampoo based on seed extract of Azadirachta indica (neem tree) for its in vitro effect, head lice (n=17) were collected from school children in Australia and immersed in Wash...

Resistance of head lice to insecticides with a neurotoxic mode of action, such as permethrin and malathion, is increasing in incidence and geographic extent. As a consequence, physically acting pediculicidal products have emerged. Dimeticones are synthetic silicone oils of low surface tension and can therefore coat most surfaces, thus also killing head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) by physic...

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 ...