“Pediculus humanus, the human body louse, is widespread where overcrowding and lack of hygiene are present, in areas of the world affected by poverty, war, famine and presence of refugees. It has recently been considered re-emerging among homeless populations in developed countries. In Italy, it was last reported in 1945. Pediculus humanus is a vector of highly relevant human pathogens.” De Liberato C1, Magliano A2, Romiti F2, Menegon M3, Mancini F3, Ciervo A3, Di Luca M3, Toma L3. Parasit Vectors. 2019 May 3;12(1):201. doi: 10.1186/s13071-019-3458-z See full article: Report of the human body louse (Pediculus humanus) from clothes sold in a market in central Italy. …
The Sensory Machinery of the Head Louse Pediculus humanus capitis: From the Antennae to the Brain
“Insect antennae are sophisticated sensory organs, usually covered with sensory structures responsible for the detection of relevant signals of different modalities coming from the environment. Despite the relevance of the head louse Pediculus humanus capitis as a human parasite, the role of its antennal sensory system in the highly dependent relation established with their hosts has been barely studied. In this work, we present a functional description of the antennae of these hematophagous insects by applying different approaches, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), anterograde antennal fluorescent backfills, and behavioral experiments with intact or differentially antennectomized lice. Results constitute a first approach to identify and describe the head louse antennal …
Prevalence of Ectoparasitic Infections and Other Dermatological Infections and Their Associated Factors among School Children in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka
“Skin disorders are one of the commonest conditions among school children in developing countries. There are only a few published studies available from Sri Lanka on the prevalence of skin disorders. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among five government-run schools randomly selected from the district of Gampaha, Sri Lanka, during 2016-2017. A total of 41 students between 5 and 16 years of age were randomly selected from each school. Sociodemographic profile and hygienic behaviors of selected students were assessed using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire. Students were examined by a medical officer for the presence of different skin disorders. The chi-squared test of association and binary logistic regression were used for the identification of the …
Partnering With The LiceMeister® Comb
Seed Of Nations International Centre's The Nehemiah Project -Partnering With The LiceMeister® Comb This year's Mission Trip to Jayuya, Puerto Rico 2019 provided education on eradicating head lice through combing with the Licemeister® Comb. Proper techniques for combing out nits and head lice were communicated to provide a safe and effective methodology for combating head lice infestations. Children of Jayuya, Puerto Rico Letter to NPA from Seed of Nations DATE: May 31, 2019 TO: Deborah Z. Altschuler —President National Pediculosis Association®, Inc. FROM: Apostle Evelyn L. Cobb Seed Of Nations International Centre RE: 2019 Jayuya, Puerto Rico Trip Summary Report FEBRUARY 19, 2019 - Day 3 - We traveled to the Escuela Segunda Unidad Antonia Serrano Gonzalez, an Elementary …
Helping Each New Generation of Parents Tackle the Age-Old Challenge of Head Lice – Safely and Effectively
The National Pediculosis Association Continues its Leadership Role with New Educational Resources and the Tools to CombFirst! NEWTON, Mass. March 26, 2019 No matter how each new generation of parents differs from its predecessors, one fact remains the same—sooner or later, they will be challenged by a lice infestation first identified at school, a childcare center, or camp. What’s changed and improved, though, is parents’ access to a wealth of tools and resources for treating children with lice—without the use of potentially harmful chemicals and pesticides. The catalyst behind these changes is the National Pediculosis Association (NPA)—a nonprofit organization whose impact has continued to grow over the 36 years since its founding. The NPA advocates for the highest possible …
Louse-borne relapsing fever (Borrelia recurrentis infection)
“Louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF) is an epidemic disease with a fascinating history from Hippocrates’ times, through the 6th century ‘Yellow Plague’, to epidemics in Ireland, Scotland and England in the 19th century and two large Afro-Middle Eastern pandemics in the 20th century. An endemic focus persists in Ethiopia and adjacent territories in the Horn of Africa. Since 2015, awareness of LBRF in Europe, as a re-emerging disease, has been increased dramatically by the discovery of this infection in dozens of refugees arriving from Africa.The causative spirochaete, Borrelia recurrentis, has a genome so similar to B. duttonii and B. crocidurae (causes of East and West African tick-borne relapsing fever), that they are now regarded as merely ecotypes of a single genomospecies. Transmission …
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China Bans Pesticides Lindane and Endosulfan
"China’s environment ministry has issued a ban on the pesticides lindane and endosulfan, substances known to pose health risks to humans. The decision, made jointly with 10 other government departments and published this week, is intended to improve China’s compliance with the Stockholm Convention, an international treaty on pollutants. China formally joined the Stockholm Convention in 2004. Lindane and endosulfan, which are frequently used to treat crops and parasites on humans and animals, are classified under the Stockholm Convention as “persistent organic pollutants” (POPs) that stay in the environment for an exceptionally long time ..." See full article. -- Source: CX Live. …
Identification of Arthropods By Polymerase Chain Reaction As Probes For Infectious Disease Studies In Experimental Coprolites
“The study of arthropods is still scarce in paleoparasitology, especially their molecular identification. In this experimental study, we amplify DNA using a polymerase chain reaction from 2 ectoparasite species, Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Pediculus humanus capitis, in experimentally desiccated feces. This study shows perspectives for the study of the identification of arthropods in coprolites when taxonomic identification is not possible.” Pucu E1, Lemos E2, Rozental T2, Ogrzewalska M2, Chame M3, Machado-Silva JR4, Leles D1. J Parasitol. 2019 Feb;105(1):133-134. See full article: Identification of Arthropods By Polymerase Chain Reaction As Probes For Infectious Disease Studies In Experimental Coprolites …
Killing Clothes Lice by Holding Infested Clothes away from Hosts for 10 Days to Control Louseborne Relapsing Fever, Bahir Dah, Ethiopia
“Louseborne relapsing fever (LBRF) was once a cosmopolitan disease but it now occurs only in the Horn of Africa. Recent cases in refugees to Europe made LBRF topical again. Crowded boarding houses and church dwellings in Ethiopia are analogous to the crowded air-raid shelters of World War II. Thus, we might learn from experiments the London School of Tropical Hygiene and Medicine conducted during World War II. When the vector of Borrelia recurrentis (Pediculus humanus lice) were held away from the host for 10 days, 100% of nymphal and adult lice starved to death and 100% of eggs did not hatch. We hypothesize that holding infested clothes away from hosts in plastic shopping bags will kill enough lice to control LBRF in Ethiopia. Owning 2 sets of clothes might be useful; 1 set might be held …