The insecticidal activity of spinosad was evaluated against susceptible and permethrin-resistant human lice. In a permethrin-susceptible strain of the body louse, Pediculus humanus humanus L. (Anoplura: Pediculidae), the toxicity of spinosad was similar to that established for permethrin, with an LD50 value of 1.2 ng/insect and 2.4 ng/insect, respectively. Topical application of spinosad to pop...

Trench fever is a body louse-borne disease caused by Bartonella quintana Brenner. The recent status of louse infestation in Nepalese children is not well known. We collected head and body lice, Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer and Pediculus humanus humanus L., respectively, from 30 children, including 11 cases of double infestation with both head and body lice. Detection of B. quintana in both...

The insecticidal activity of 54 plant essential oils against female Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer was examined using direct contact and fumigation methods, and compared with the lethal activity of delta-phenothrin and pyrethrum, two commonly used pediculicides. In a filter paper contact bioassay with female P. humanus capitis, the pediculicidal activity was more pronounced in eucalyptus, ma...

The head louse, Pediculus capitis De Geer (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae) has developed resistance to organochlorines, the organophosphate malathion and to pyrethroids in the U.K. Therefore, headlice from Bristol school children were bioassayed against two new insecticides, fipronil and imidacloprid. Pediculus capitis was fully susceptible to imidacloprid, but it required a relatively high dose and...

Understanding the evolution of parasites is important to both basic and applied evolutionary biology. Knowledge of the genetic structure of parasite populations is critical for our ability to predict how an infection can spread through a host population and for the design of effective control methods. However, very little is known about the genetic structure of most human parasites, including t...

Head lice infestation caused by Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer. (Phthiraptera) is one of the most important public health problem in children worldwide. Currently, head lice resistance to chemical pediculicide are increasing, thus new alternative pediculicides from herb or plant are needed for head lice treatment. The aim of this study were to evaluate toxicity of five herbal extracts from A...

In total, 2,408 primary school girls (6-14 yr old) in two districts within the Gaza Governorate were examined for the presence of head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer. The localities chosen for the study were the Old Gaza city and the rural village Jabalia. The rate of infestation with lice was 14.1%, and an additional 35% of girls had nits (eggs) only. The prevalence of louse infestati...