Treatment of head louse infection is primarily through topical insecticides. However, there is growing evidence of resistance. A representative population sample was tested using biochemical and molecular methods; it was shown that, in Wales, treatments containing pyrethroids are likely to be less effective in controlling head louse infection than those containing organophosphates.

DURDEN, L.A. & HORAK, I.G. 2004. Linognathus weisseri n. sp. (Phthiraptera: Linognathidae) of impalas, Aepyceros melampus: description and biology. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 71:59–66 The adult male and female and first instar nymph of the sucking louse Linognathus weisseri n. sp. are described. This louse was collected from impalas, Aepyceros melampus, at three localities in...

The human head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae), is an obligate ectoparasite that causes pediculosis capitis and has parasitized humans since the beginning of humankind. Head louse infestations are widespread throughout the world and have been increasing since the early 1990s partially because of ineffective pediculicides. In Argentina, the overuse of product...

Two genera of lice parasitize humans: Pthirus and Pediculus. The latter is of significant public health importance and comprises two ecotypes: the body louse and the head louse. These ecotypes are morphologically and genetically notably similar; the body louse is responsible for three infectious diseases: Louse-borne epidemic typhus, relapsing fever, and trench fever. Mitochondrial DNA studies ...

Since the 1800s, the only known vector of Borrelia recurrentis has been the body louse. In 2011, we found B. recurrentis DNA in 23% of head lice from patients with louse-borne relapsing fever in Ethiopia. Whether head lice can transmit these bacteria from one person to another remains to be determined.

The importation of alpacas and llamas from South America over the last 15 years has resulted in the concurrent introduction of the biting louse, Bovicola breviceps, into Australia.1,2 Alpacas are produced for their luxury fibre and infestation of lice may result in fleece price penalties. B breviceps is specific for camelids, which includes alpacas, llamas, vicunas, guanacos, dromedary and Bact...

Scabies and pediculosis are ubiquitous, contagious, and debilitating parasitic dermatoses. The tendency of high prevalence of pediculosis and scabies among school and preschool age children has prompted us to conduct a head louse and scabies prevalence survey among preschool nursery children in our district. A school-based, crosssectional study was performed, with 1,134 children chosen for eval...

BACKGROUND Body louse or head louse? Once removed from their environment, body and head lice are indistinguishable. Neither the morphological criteria used since the mid-18th century nor the various genetic studies conducted since the advent of molecular biology tools have allowed body lice and head lice to be differentiated. In this work, using a portion of the Phum_PHUM540560 gene from the bo...