While much recent media attention has been focused on mosquitoes and the Zika virus they transmit, another pest is now crawling into the news cycle.
Lice have mutated to resist the pesticide that has been effectively used against them for years, and 25 states are experiencing infestations with “super lice”.
A strain of so-called ‘super lice’ has hit a reported 25 states, causing concern and frustration among parents because the bugs can’t be killed with most over-the-counter treatments. The treatments, known as pyrethroids, had a 100 percent success rate in 2000 against lice but now only work in 25 percent of cases, KSDK.com reported.A new FDA-approved treatment called AirAlle, which was developed by Lice Clinics of America, has been found to be effective against the super lice, with treatments costing about $170.“We use heated air, and we dehydrate the lice and the eggs in a single treatment,” Claire Roberts, CEO of Lice Clinics America, told KSDK.com. “It takes about an hour, and we guarantee it.
The map below summarizes the locations where the “super lice” outbreaks have occurred.
Lice populations in the states in pink have developed a high level of resistance to some of the most common treatments.
Unlike mosquitoes, head lice are not known to transmit any disease and are not considered a health hazard. However, dealing with a lice infestation is always a challenge. Here are some common myths, debunked for your convenience.
- People who have lice are unhygienic.DEBUNKED – Lice are parasites that will infest anyone’s head, whether the hair is clean or dirty. The critters also don’t discriminate against race, age or gender; if you have hair, they like you.
- Lice fly or jump from victim to victim.DEBUNKED – Lice are incapable of flying or jumping. That said, they can spread with head to head contact, or if you use the brush, headband or hat of an infected person.
- Lice will infest your home, so you must clean everything to get rid of them.DEBUNKED – Lice cannot live without a blood supply for more than 24 hours. For that reason, you should not need to invest in expensive house cleaners or spend hours cleaning. Still, some household work is necessary, like vacuuming floors, washing bedding in hot water and tossing stuffed animals and pillows in the dryer on high heat for half an hour.
It has been a busy year for public health professionals already…and March as barely started.
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