News tagged with head lice

Health

How to get rid of head lice without spending loads of money

Parents are being warned there could be a big rise in head lice outbreaks in schools this winter. The health charity Community Hygiene Concern has predicted that low-income families will be hit hardest after a change in NHS ...

Nov 19, 2018

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Medications

S.Africa revokes ivermectin ban, allows 'controlled' human use

South Africa's health products regulator on Wednesday approved the "controlled" use of anti-parasitic agent ivermectin on humans, reversing a decision to ban the drug last month over unproven claims that it can treat COVID-19.

Jan 27, 2021

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Other

Single topical ivermectin head lice treatment very effective

(HealthDay)—A single 10-minute, at-home treatment with topical ivermectin lotion eliminates head lice infestations in nearly all patients by the next day, according to a study published in the Nov. 1 issue of the New England ...

Nov 2, 2012

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Health

Consumer health: What are head lice?

An estimated 6–12 million infestations of head lice occur each year in the U.S. among children ages three to 11, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Aug 25, 2022

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Pediatrics

Doctors say head lice should not bar kids from school

(HealthDay)—Outbreaks of head lice in kids can be effectively treated without banning infected children from school, new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) say.

Apr 27, 2015

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Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Head lice beginning to show permethrin resistance

(HealthDay) -- Although live head lice obtained from school-aged children in Paris remain susceptible to the insecticide malathion, approximately 14 percent have been found to be resistant to permethrin, suggesting a strong ...

Jun 5, 2012

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Health

Doc dispels common myths about head lice

(HealthDay)—Although lice do not cause serious physical harm, they can result in a lot of emotional distress because many people still mistakenly believe they are a sign of poor hygiene, an expert explains.

Oct 18, 2013

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Head-louse infestation

Head-louse infestation or head lice (also referred to colloquially in British, Irish, and Australian English as nits) is a human medical condition caused by the colonization of the hair and skin by the parasitic insect Pediculus humanus capitis—the head louse. Typically, only the head or scalp of the host is infested, although the disease can occur in other hairy parts of the body, like leg hairs. Head lice feed on human blood (hematophagy), and itching from louse bites is a common symptom of this condition. Treatment typically includes application of topical insecticides such as a pyrethrin or permethrin, although a variety of folk remedies are also common.

Lice infestation in general is known as pediculosis, and occurs in many mammalian and bird species. The term pediculosis capitis, or simply "pediculosis", is sometimes used to refer to the specific human pediculosis due to P. humanus capitis (i.e., head-louse infestation). Humans are hosts for two other lice as well—the body louse and the crab louse.

Head-louse infestation is widely endemic, especially in children. It is a cause of some concern in public health, although, unlike human body lice, head lice are not carriers of other infectious diseases.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA