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The National Pediculosis Association,® Inc.
| Dec 20 |
The unusual reproductive system of head and body lice (Pediculus humanus).
"Insect reproduction is extremely variable, but the implications of alternative genetic systems are often overlooked in studies on the evolution of insecticide resistance. Both ecotypes of Pediculus humanus (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae), the human head and body lice, are human ectoparasites, the control of which is challenged by the recent spread of resistance alleles. The present study conclusively establishes for the first time that both head and body lice reproduce through paternal genome elimination (PGE), an unusual genetic system in which males transmit only their maternally derived chromosomes."
-- Source: Med Vet Entomol. 2017 Dec 20. |
| Nov 17 |
Santa Rosa County School District parents want more notification about head lice.
"Santa Rosa County School District parents want a heads-up on lice.
A parent-initiated grassroots movement designed to receive more information from the district led to the creation of a Facebook page..."
-- Source: Pensacola News Journal. |
| Nov 13 |
Thunder Bay parents calling on school board to change lice policy.
"For one Thunder Bay parent, the issue of lice goes well beyond a child missing a few days of school. It can be an all-encompassing problem that is expensive to treat and causes high stress at home, which is why she is calling on the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board to change its policy on lice in the hopes of preventing more infestations."
-- Source: Sudbury.com. |
| Nov 13 |
New app tracks illnesses in your area.
"As we head into flu season there is a new sickness app you might want to consider."
-- Source: 11Alive.com. |
| Sept 19 |
Head Lice Awareness: National Pediculosis Association.
"The No Nit Policy of the National Pediculosis Association encourages each family to do its part at home with routine screening, early detection, accurate identification and thorough removal of lice and nits. Establishing consistent guidelines and educating the public about procedures in advance of outbreaks helps minimize inappropriate responses."
-- Source: Your HHRS News. |
| Sept 13 |
How To Prevent Head Lice: Parents Hit Back At Claims They "Can't Be Bothered" To Treat Nits.
"Parents have dismissed claims they are "not bothering" to treat head lice.
Parasitologist Ian Burgess, director of the Medical Entomology Centre, and his team conducted tests in a primary school in Cambridgeshire before this year's summer holidays.
He said around 8% of the children had head lice."
-- Source: Huffington Post UK. |
| Sept 1 |
All Out Comb Out: September is National Head Lice Prevention Month!
"With school right around the corner, September 1st kicks off the 32nd National Head Lice Prevention Campaign, sponsored by the National Pediculosis Association (NPA). The NPA is calling for parents to stay especially aware of the communicability of head lice and take the necessary steps towards sending their children to school free of lice and nits (lice eggs)."
-- Source: National Pediculosis Association. |
| June 20 |
Got Lice? Forget The Shampoo, Researcher Says.
"Study: Head Lice Are Becoming Resistant To Traditional Types Of Treatment. If you or a family member are unfortunate enough to come down with head lice, you may want to think twice before reaching for the customary bottle of lice shampoo from the drug store. According to new research, the tiny blood-sucking insects are becoming increasingly resistant to traditional methods of treatment."
-- Source: Wisconsin Public Radio. |
| June 9 |
Revenge of the Super Lice.
"Karen Sokoloff finds a certain satisfaction in picking lice off a person's scalp, smoothing olive oil into the hair strands and carefully pulling a metal comb through them to catch the stragglers. It's a good thing she enjoys it: Sokoloff co-founded LiceDoctors, one of a handful of national chains of lice pickers, and business is booming, in part because conventional treatments have become largely ineffective."
-- Source: Scientific American. |
| June 2 |
Organic foods backed by landmark report warning pesticides far more dangerous than was thought.
"Consumers should consider going organic because pesticides on foods are far more dangerous than was thought, causing damage to the human brain, a major study suggests.
The research, published by the European Parliament, warns of the 'very high costs' of current levels of exposure to pesticides - especially for children and pregnant women.
It could result in new limits on pesticide levels or changes to labelling of foodstuffs, under EU laws which require the UK to review its policies by next year."
-- Source: The Telegraph. |
| May 23 |
Parents challenge Hawaii's ukus policy in public schools.
"They may be small, but some parents say ukus -- or head lice -- are a big problem.
That's why the Parent Teachers Association at Salt Lake Elementary School drafted a resolution asking the Hawaii State Department of Health and the Department of Education to reeaxmine its Ukus policy in public schools...
The idea is bugging parents like Chace Shigemasa. "That's what parents are afraid of," he said. "That uncertainty of 'Is my child going to come home with ukus or not?' We want to have more control."
-- Source: Hawaii News Now. |
| May 18 |
OTC Head Lice Control products in the US - Euromonitor Research Study.
"Widespread concern about pesticide-resistant “super lice” has boosted growth in pesticide-free products. Products with the pesticide-free claim command the highest retail prices, as observed in store audits."
-- Source: Euromonitor International. |
| Apr 14 |
Lice and bacteria, partners in parasitism.
"Head lice have been stigmatized, quickly conjuring images of infested school children and parents combing through their hair. This social stigma reaches many of the estimated 14 million people who are annually infested in the U.S. alone.
However, these blood sucking lice have had a long and complex evolutionary history tied to humans and other mammals. In total, there are 532 species of blood sucking lice and each species parasitizes one or just a few mammal species."
-- Source: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS) . |
| Apr 13 |
AP Exclusive: Pesticide maker tries to kill risk study.
"Over the past four years, government scientists have compiled an official record running more than 10,000 pages indicating the three pesticides under review - chlorpyrifos, diazinon and malathion - pose a risk to nearly every endangered species they studied. Regulators at the three federal agencies, which share responsibilities for enforcing the Endangered Species Act, are close to issuing findings expected to result in new limits on how and where the highly toxic pesticides can be used."
-- Source: The Associated Press. |
| Apr 13 |
Head lice is more common than you think.
"From time to time, head lice infestations become news stories, especially when treatment “failures” occur. You probably feel itchy right now just thinking about them!
Head lice, scientifically known as Pediculus humanus capitis, have been around as long human beings have existed. After all, lice need human blood to live."
-- Source: Guide Health. |
| Apr 1 |
Pyrethroid pesticide exposure appears to speed puberty in boys.
"Environmental exposure to common pesticides may cause boys to reach sexual maturity earlier, researchers have found. They will present their study results Saturday at the Endocrine Society's 99th annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.
Previous research shows that early puberty increases the risk of diseases in adulthood, for example, testicular cancer in men and breast cancer in women. Early puberty also can stunt growth and cause behavioral problems."
-- Source: American Association for the Advancement of Science. |
| Mar 3 |
Pyrethroid insecticides linked to abnormal behaviour in children, study shows.
"Ingredients found in head lice and scabies treatment products have been linked to behavioural difficulties in young children, scientists say."
-- Source: The Sydney Morning Herald. |
| Jan 9 |
Neurotoxic Flea Collar Pesticide Upheld, EPA Issues Warning on Children's Exposure.
"After the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its recent human health risk assessment for the organophosphate insecticide (OP) tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP) on December 21, 2016, the agency announced it was allowing the continued use of the neurotoxic chemical to which children are widely exposed through pets’ flea collars and other flea treatments. According to EPA, ” TCVP is used as a direct animal treatment to livestock (i.e., cattle, horses, poultry and swine) and their premises, in kennels, outdoors as a perimeter treatment, and as a flea treatment [including flea collars] on cats and dogs."
-- Source: Beyond Pesticides. |
| Jan 2 |
Acute poisoning in a child following topical treatment of head lice (pediculosis capitis) with an organophosphate pesticide.
"This is a case report of acute organophosphate poisoning in a child treated with topical application of Diazinon-60 (WHO Class II toxicity) for head lice (pediculosis capitis). The patient presented with neurological symptoms and signs. After emergency respiratory and circulatory resuscitation the patient underwent dermal decontamination and was treated with atropine, high flow oxygen and pralidoxime. Scanning electron micrographs of scalp hair specimens revealed both viable and empty head lice nits (lice eggs that attach to the hair shaft). The patient was hospitalized for seven days and discharged after full recovery. The case highlights the importance of raising the awareness of health workers and the community about the danger of misusing pesticides for the treatment of head lice."
-- Source: US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. |
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