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The National Pediculosis Association,® Inc.
| Dec 27 |
Refugee crisis and re-emergence of forgotten infections in Europe
"Makeshift shelters are becoming increasingly evident in European cities as a consequence of the momentous influx of refugees seeking asylum in European countries. These individuals have endured long, gruelling journeys to reach their target countries, often having survived appalling living conditions (Fig. 1a). One of the routes chosen by migrants is that from East Africa, through Sudan and Libya, to North Africa and eventually Europe (Fig. 1b). Not unsurprisingly, this has led to the introduction of infectious diseases that are rarely encountered in developed nations, most notably louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF)."
-- Source: Cutler, Sally J. (2015) ‘Refugee crisis and re-emergence of forgotten infections in Europe’, -
Clinical Microbiology and Infection. |
| Dec 27 |
Louseborne Relapsing Fever in Young Migrants, Sicily, Italy
"Increased migration from resource-poor countries and war/violence create new routes for spread of vector borne diseases. Recently, several cases of LBRF have been reported among asylum seekers from Eritrea in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany (5–8). All of these asylum seekers had been in refugee camps in Libya or Italy. We report 3 cases of LBRF in migrants from Somalia to refugee camps in Sicily, Italy."
-- Source: Emerging Infectious Diseases, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Dec 14 |
Pesticides and Human Health
"Several pesticides exposures have been shown to have
significant human health effects. Many other pesticide exposure and outcome relationships lack
sufficient well-designed epidemiological studies to enable the determination of their effect on
human health. Recommendations that reduce the use of and exposure to pesticides for the
general population and for vulnerable groups (i.e. pregnant women and children) are indicated
based on the state of the research evidence at this time. In addition, educational supports for the
reduction of and the safe use of agricultural pesticides are important to reduce the risks
associated with pesticides in this occupationally exposed group."
-- Source: Pesticides and Human Health, by the Department of Health |
| Nov 30 |
Contaminating Our Bodies With Everyday Products
"IN recent weeks, two major medical organizations have issued independent warnings about toxic chemicals in products all around us. Unregulated substances, they say, are sometimes linked to breast and prostate cancer, genital deformities, obesity, diabetes and infertility."
-- Source: New York Times |
| Sept 2 |
Lindane: The Dangerous Head Lice Treatment That Shouldn't Be Sold
'Consumer Reports Wants This Drug off Pharmacy Shelves
If your doctor prescribes lindane to treat a case of head lice or scabies, think twice before getting it filled. The drug, which is a poison that acts on the nervous system, is now known to cause cancer. It is already banned in California but is still being prescribed and sold nationwide. Consumer Reports is urging the Food and Drug Administration to outlaw the use of lindane in the rest of the U.S.
“Lindane is clearly a very hazardous pesticide,” says Michael Hansen, Ph.D., a senior scientist at Consumer Reports. “It can be absorbed through the scalp, and we are particularly concerned about its use, especially in treating children.”'
-- Source: Consumer Reports |
| Sept 1 |
September is Head Lice Prevention Month!
The NPA has a new educational video for September’s 30th annual National Head Lice Prevention Month campaign. It was created for parents as a reminder that children are especially vulnerable to pediculosis and the risks of chemical treatments designed to kill head lice. The American Academy of Pediatrics says, “Children’s exposures to pesticides should be limited as much as possible.”
During this opportune back-to-school season when so many group activities begin again, the NPA recommends the safe alternative of combing to protect children. In this new video, Mary, mother of three, was left to figure it out on her own when the letter she received from school gave her no warning that lice killing treatment chemicals are actually pesticides.
-- Source: National Pediculosis Association |
| Aug 31 |
The rise of ‘selfie lice,’ ‘iPad lice’ and other scourges. (It’s not just a teen thing.)
"As if you didn't have enough to worry about with the new school year starting, now there's this: "Selfie lice." In recent days, the Interwebs have been abuzz with fear over the latest scourge to hit our borders and it has to do with social media and those pesky little critters that tend to latch onto kids' hair."
-- Source: Washington Post |
| Aug 21 |
Treatment-Resistant Lice: What's an Exasperated Parent to Do?
"With mutant lice, the old drugstore remedies don't work.
This year you may be among the millions of parents who get the news that their child has lice. If that isn’t bad enough, you're now going to have a lot more trouble getting rid of them.
The reason? Mutant lice. A study by researchers at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville found that lice in at least 25 states have developed gene mutations that make them resistant to common over-the-counter lice treatments, rendering the remedies virtually ineffective."
-- Source: SafeBee |
| Aug 18 |
Lice resistant to common treatments in many states
"Head lice are a giant nuisance -- as many as 12 million American school children between the ages of 3 and 11 get them each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And to make matters worse, researchers continue to find evidence that the tiny pests are becoming genetically resistant to common treatments that people use to battle the bugs.
A new study finds that lice in at least 25 states have developed resistance to an ingredient found in over-the-counter remedies that are widely recommended by doctors and school officials. The research is being presented Tuesday at a meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS)."
-- Source: CBS News |
| Jun 24 |
WHO agency says insecticides lindane and DDT linked to cancer
"The insecticide lindane, once widely used in agriculture and to treat human lice and scabies, causes cancer and has been specifically linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.
The WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) also said that DDT, or dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, probably causes cancer, with scientific evidence linking it to non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), testicular cancer and liver cancer."
-- Source: Fox News |
| Jun 24 |
DDT, Lindane Can Cause Cancer, WHO Says
"DDT was mostly banned in the U.S. in 1970, while lindane is still present in some products
Exposure to insecticides lindane and DDT can cause cancer, according to findings released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday."
-- Source: Time |
| Jun 24 |
Insecticide lindane found to cause cancer
"A common insecticide has been found to cause cancer in humans, according to a World Health Organization review. The product, lindane, was once widely used in agriculture and continues to be found in some treatments for head lice and scabies. The WHO concluded today that the substance is carcinogenic and specifically said that exposure to the chemical could increase the risk of the rare immune cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, by 60%.
Although agricultural use of the chemical is heavily restricted in Britain, consumers may still be exposed through foods imported from some developing countries, where it continues to be used in agriculture."
-- Source: The Guardian |
| Jun 23 |
WHO Agency Says Insecticides Lindane, DDT Linked to Cancer
"The insecticide lindane, once widely used in agriculture and to treat human lice and scabies, causes cancer and has been specifically linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.
The WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) also said that DDT, or dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, probably causes cancer, with scientific evidence linking it to non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), testicular cancer and liver cancer."
-- Source: Voice of America |
| Jun 23 |
WHO’s IARC classified lindane, DDT, and 2,4-D as carcinogenic to humans
"International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) on 23 June 2015 classified lindane, DDT and 2,4-D as carcinogenic to humans. IARC is the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The decision was taken in this regard after the conclusion of mandatory eight day meeting by a working group of 26 experts from 13 countries in Lyon (France). The group was set up by the IARC, as part of Monographs Programme, to evaluate the carcinogenicity of the three agents."
-- Source: Jagran Josh |
| Jun 23 |
Insecticide used to treat head lice can cause cancer, WHO says
"An insecticide that's found in select head lice treatments in Canada causes cancer and has been specifically linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a World Health Organization research panel said Tuesday."
-- Source: CTV News |
| Jun 1 |
Academy offers guidance on new lice treatments
"...because the Academy no longer recommends Lindane, this medicine has been eliminated from the clinical report as a consideration."
-- Source: American Academy of Pediatrics |
| May 13 |
A creepy-crawly head bug one Fargo mother can't rid her daughter of
"It's a bug one Fargo mother can't shake and it’s costing her roughly $600 dollars to rid her daughter of head lice. Parent Jamie White had heard of other kids complaining about lice in the classroom. We spoke to the family who said this is in fact where her child keeps picking up the bug. They want to see more preventative efforts taken."
-- Source: Valley News |
| May 2 |
Ms. Altschuler profiled on Amazing Women Everywhere
"Deborah Z. Altschuler is president of the National Pediculosis Association (NPA), a mother, grandmother, and advocate for all children. She has worked tirelessly for years educating parents , professionals and the general public on the safe way to treat headlice, without exposing children to toxic pesticides. The LiceMeister comb is the safest non toxic way to treat head lice. In fact in 2011 the Stockholm Convention identified the LiceMeister comb as a POPs-free product and featured it at a global meeting of more than 150 countries, as the safe, non-chemical treatment choice over the use of lindane and other pharmaceutical applications using insecticides."
-- Source: Amazing Women Everywhere |
| Apr 27 |
AAP Updates Treatments for Head Lice
"An updated clinical report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) "Head Lice," in the May 2015 issue of Pediatrics (published online April 27), provides information to pediatricians and other health practitioners on safe and effective methods for treating head lice, including new products and medications."
Note: The NPA does NOT agree with this AAP recommendation to allow infested children to attend school. The NPA recommends maintaining a proactive community effort of education, responsibility and accountability. You can read the NPA's No Nit Policy for more information.
-- Source: AAP |
| Apr 26 |
Our Chemical Lives - A 2015 Documentary
"Today, chemicals are so omnipresent in our lives that many times we are unaware of our daily interactions with them."
-- Source: Top Documentary Films |
| Feb 6 |
Is this the most extreme case of head lice EVER?
"This video shows millions of parasites crawling through a child’s hair in what experts have described as an extreme case of head lice."
-- Source: Daily Mail |
| Jan 1 |
Ekbom's syndrome or real ectoparasitosis? An unexpected outcome of hidden springtails (Collembola)
"An elderly couple had complained of skin disorders for a few months. The symptoms, described as intensive pruritus, had not been explained despite multiple medical visits. No particular lesions were noticed during examinations, but the patients reported formication resembling the sensation of insects crawling on the skin. The patients had already undergone many antihistaminic, anti-scabies, and anxiolytic treatments, without convincing results."
-- Source: International Journal of Dermatology |
| Jan 1 |
"Collembola vs head lice: A puzzling case solved by videodermoscopy" (and it wasn’t head lice!)
"A 65-year-old woman presented with a 4-month history of a recalcitrant pruritic scalp disorder unresponsive to repeated pediculicidal treatments. She exhibited self-collected specimens of presumed head lice entrapped in adhesive tape that she claimed to have recovered after combing her hair. At physical examination, several scratching marks were detectable on the scalp."
-- Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology: Volume 72, Issue 1, A1-A10, S1-S78 |
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