Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Pediculus”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

Techniques for rearing and handling body lice, Oriental rat fleas, and cat fleas.

The authors describe techniques for handling and rearing large numbers of body lice (Pediculus humanus humanus L.), oriental rat fleas (Xenopsylla cheopis (Rothschild)), and cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché)).Body lice may be fed on man or on domestic rabbits. In the latter case, the lice are kept on woollen patches in glass dishes at 30 degrees C and 60% relative humidity. The patches are placed on the clipped belly of a rabbit once a day and the lice allowed to feed. Eggs are deposited on the patches, and the adult lice are transferred to new patches every two or three days.The adults of oriental rat fleas are fed on white rats, and the larvae are reared in a medium of dry sand and powdered beef-blood. Cocoons are placed in emergence funnels from which pure cultures drop into collecting jars. Cat fleas are raised in a very similar manner, but the adults are fed on dogs.

Animals↗

[Lice and lice-borne diseases in humans].

Among the three lice which parasite the human being, the human body louse, Pediculus humanus humanus, is a vector of infectious diseases. It lives and multiplies in clothes and human infestation is associated with cold weather and a lack of hygiene. Three pathogenic bacteria are transmitted by the body louse: 1) Rickettsia prowazekii, the agent of epidemic typhus of which the most recent outbreak (and the largest since World War II) was observed during the civil war in Burundi; 2) Borrelia recurrentis, the agent of relapsing fever, historically responsible of massive outbreaks in Eurasia and Africa, which prevails currently in Ethiopia and neighboring countries; 3) Bartonella quintana, the agent of trench fever, bacillary angiomatosis, chronic bacteremia, endocarditis, and lymphadenopathy. Body louse infestation, associated with a decline in social and hygienic conditions provoked by civil unrest and economic instability, is reemergent worldwide. Recently, a forth human pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii, has been associated to the body louse.

Animals↗

Treatment of pediculosis capitis infested children with 1% permethrin shampoo in Turkey.

Pediculosis capitis (head lice) is an infestation that affects many children. Although, there are a number of different treatment modalities, at the present study, we investigated the efficacy of permethrin in the treatment of pediculosis capitis in children. This study was carried out in 3 village primary schools in the Kayseri region involving 185 of 712 school children infested with Pediculus humanus capitis during a survey conducted in March 2001. It was found that 173 (97.29%) of the 178 students who applied the prescribed medications were cured, indicating that interestingly 1% permethrin shampoo (Kwellada) is an effective and safe treatment choice for pediculosis capitis.

Adolescent↗

[Pediculosis in rural schools of Lublin Province].

The aim of the work was to study the prevalence of pediculosis capitis among schoolchildren in rural areas of Lublin Province in Eastern Poland and to examine its correlation with socio-economic conditions. A group of 42759 schoolchildren aged between 6 and 15 years from 52 rural primary schools were examined. The level of unemployment, number of physicians and number of nurses per 10000 inhabitants were examined in the area of experiment. We achieved the following results: a total of 682 children were found to be infested with Pediculus humanus capitis, mean prevalence was 1.6%. The girls were more frequently infected than boys (75% for girls and 24% for boys). The children most frequently affected were those aged 6 (1.6%) and 8 to 12 years (1.6-2.1%). The children least affected were those aged 13 to 14 years (0.8-1.1%). The infestation rate was strictly correlated with the number of nurses per 10000 inhabitants. There was no relationship between the level of unemployment or the number of physicians and the infestation rate on experimental area. Our investigations seems to confirme that the prevalence of P. h. capitis is influenced by the level of primary health care, particulary quality of school nurses' work.

Adolescent↗

[Investigation of pediculosis carried out as the special study module No. 74, a part of Ege University Medical Faculty's educational program].

In this study, in the program of the special study module No: 74, 68 students, who attended the Izmir Konak Yüzbaşi Serafettin Primary School were examined for Pediculus humanus capitis in March 2005. Twenty female students had pediculosis capitis, but no male students were infested. The infestation rate in the girls was 55.5%. Positive cases were treated and 35.0% were found to be cured during a control performed one week later.

Animals↗

Comparison of pediculicidal and ovicidal effects of two pyrethrin-piperonyl-butoxide agents.

A pyrethrin-piperonyl-butoxide shampoo was compared with a similarly formulated lotion for their pediculicidal and ovicidal effects against head lice. Forty children with active Pediculus humanus capitis infestation were randomly assigned to one of two groups for a single treatment with either the shampoo or the lotion. An average of ten nits were taken from each patient both before and after treatment. These eggs were incubated for 14 days, the resulting lice counted, and their conditions noted. Lice recovered from the rinse water after treatment were also counted and observed. Although both products proved to be effective in killing lice, the shampoo had greater ovicidal efficacy, 50% versus 25% for the lotion, after adjustment for natural mortality of the ova.

Administration, Topical↗

[The adaptive potentials of human head and clothes lice when parasitizing on man].

Two species of lice (Pediculus capitis and P. corporis) from various areas of Russian and adjacent republics were examined and analysed for their specific features. Each species was characterized in terms of its morphology, karyology, biology, reproductive isolation, parasitic connections, epidemiology and role as casual organisms. The two species live apart on the same host and they can live on it simultaneously. P. corporis has a higher influence on the host's metabolism than P. capitis; P. corporis seems to be a younger species and its adaptation to man has not achieved the level that is inherent in P. capitis. The head lice (P. capitis) do not affect an epidemic process in typhus and so pediculosis should be identified by the species of lice.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

On the efficacy of Co-trimoxazole as an oral treatment for pediculosis capitis infestation.

No doubt, pediculosis capitis or Pediculus h. capitis infestation is an increasing health problem particularly among Egyptian children. Many chemical pediculocides are used with a variety of effectiveness and side effects. Meanwhile, Co-trimoxazole (Trimethoprim and sulphamethoxazole) have shown some pediculocidal action. In this paper, Co-trimoxazole was given to patients infested with pediculosis capitis. Prolonged course was needed to free the patients from adult and nymphal stages but not the eggs (nits). The results were discussed. It was concluded that until the discovery of cheap, safe and effective oral drug, topical application of pediculocides as ointment or shampoo is the method of choice.

Administration, Oral↗

1% permethrin cream rinse vs 1% lindane shampoo in treating pediculosis capitis.

The therapeutic efficacy and tolerance of a single application of 1% permethrin cream rinse, applied for ten minutes, and a single application of 1% lindane shampoo applied, as recommended by the manufacturer, for four minutes, against the head louse Pediculus humanus var capitis were compared in a single-blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Of 573 patients enrolled at eight centers, 559 were assessable for tolerance and 508 for efficacy. Of the 257 patients treated with 1% permethrin cream rinse, 99% were lice free at 14 days; of the 251 patients treated with 1% lindane shampoo, 85% were lice free at 14 days. The difference is statistically significant. For both treatments, adverse experiences were infrequent, mild, and usually difficult to distinguish from the symptoms of head lice infestation. A single ten-minute application of 1% permethrin cream rinse was well tolerated, highly effective, and therapeutically superior to a single four-minute application of 1% lindane shampoo.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

Pediculosis capitis among rural and urban schoolchildren in Nigeria.

The prevalence of head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) was investigated among urban and rural schoolchildren in Ibadan City and three surrounding villages all in Southern Nigeria. 106 (5.7%) of 1860 urban schoolchildren examined were infested compared with only seven (1.5%) of 473 children from rural schools (P less than 0.05). Pediculosis appears to be an urban problem which may be associated with overcrowding. However, the intensity of head louse infestation was low among the urban schoolchildren with 74.6% of all lousy children harbouring one to five lice per head and only 6.0% with more than 30 lice per head.

Adolescent↗

Host specificity of trichodinid ectoparasites of freshwater fish.

Ciliophorons of the family Trichodinidoe comprise seven genera, all of which are commensolists or parasites - mainly on aquatic hosts such as other ciliophorans, coelenterates, planctonic crustaceans, molluscs, echinoderms, amphibians and fish. Although the first species of this family, Trichodina pediculus, was described from material collected from Hydra, most literature concerns the trichodinids of fish-particularly cultured freshwater fish. These ciliophorans have been implicated in severe disease and mortalities of fish, causing severe economic losses in various parts o f the world. In spite o f the confused taxonomy o f the Trichodinidae, it now appears that they fall into four distinct groups representing a line of specialization towards a more exclusive niche on the host fish. The more opportunistic species, with a broad host range, tend to be larger skin parasites, while the more specialized are smaller and usually only parasitize the gills o f their specific host.

Journal Article↗

Tick-borne relapsing fever in North America.

Relapsing fever is characterized by recurring episodes of fever and nonspecific symptoms (e.g., headache, myalgia, arthralgia, shaking chills, and abdominal complaints). The illness is caused by an infection from the Borrelia species (spirochetes) that may be acquired through the bite of an infected tick (Ornithodoros species) or contact with the hemolymph of an infected human body louse (Pediculus humanus). In North America, most cases have been acquired in the western United States, southern British Columbia, and few cases have been reported from Mexico. Most cases have been acquired from exposure to rustic tick-infested cabins and caves. This article reviews relapsing fever, especially tick-borne relapsing fever in North America.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Ectoparasites--the underestimated realm.

CONTEXT: Ectoparasitoses (infestations with parasites that live on or in the skin) can cause considerable morbidity. Whereas pediculosis and scabies are ubiquitous, cutaneous larva migrans and tungiasis (sand-flea disease) occur mainly in hot climates. The prevalence of ectoparasitoses in the general population is usually low, but can be high in vulnerable groups. Scientific knowledge on how to deal best with parasitic skin diseases in different settings is scanty, and evidence-based measures for control are not available. For head lice and scabies the situation is daunting, because resistance of Pediculus humanus capitis and Sarcoptes scabiei to insecticides is spreading and unpredictable. STARTING POINT: J Hunter and S Barker reported different patterns of resistance in schoolchildren in Brisbane, Australia: full resistance to malathion, permethrin, and pyrethrum in two schools, whereas head lice were susceptible to malathion and, to a lesser extent, to pyrethrums in three other schools (Parasitol Res 2003; 90: 476-78). K Yoon and colleagues found different resistance patterns in the USA and Ecuador (Arch Dermatol 2003; 139: 994-1000). Head lice from Florida were less susceptible to permethrin than those from Texas, and parasites from Ecuador were susceptible to both insecticides tested. WHERE NEXT? The occurrence of resistant pediculosis and scabies is expected to increase numerically and geographically. Clinicoepidemiological studies are urgently needed to identify the factors which govern the emergence and spread of strains of P humanus capitis and S scabiei that are resistant to insecticide or acaricide. Oral treatment with ivermectin could substitute for topically applied compounds, particularly in resource-poor communities where polyparasitism is common. A better understanding of local epidemiology is required to develop control measures. This knowledge has to be applied in combination with environmental sanitation, health education, and culturally acceptable interventions that are affordable by the underprivileged.

Drug Resistance↗

Bartonella quintana and urban trench fever.

Contemporary Bartonella quintana infections have emerged in diverse regions of the world, predominantly involving socially disadvantaged persons. Available data suggest that the human body louse Pediculus humanus is the vector for transmission of B. quintana. Descriptions of the clinical manifestations associated with contemporary B. quintana infections have varied considerably and include asymptomatic infection, a relapsing febrile illness, headache, leg pain, "culture-negative" endocarditis, and, in human immunodeficiency virus-infected persons, bacillary angiomatosis. Laboratory diagnosis is most convincing when B. quintana is isolated in blood culture, but growth often takes 20-40 days; problems exist with both sensitivity and specificity of serological assays. On the basis of available information, use of doxycycline, erythromycin, or azithromycin to treat B. quintana infections is recommended. Treatment of uncomplicated B. quintana bacteremia for 4-6 weeks and treatment of B. quintana endocarditis (in a person who does not undergo valve surgery) for 4-6 months are recommended, with the addition of a bactericidal agent (such as a third-generation cephalosporin or an aminoglycoside) during the initial 2-3 weeks of therapy for endocarditis.

Animals↗

The body louse as a vector of reemerging human diseases.

The body louse, Pediculus humanus humanus, is a strict human parasite, living and multiplying in clothing. Louse infestation is associated with cold weather and a lack of hygiene. Three pathogenic bacteria are transmitted by the body louse. Borrelia recurrentis is a spirochete, the agent of relapsing fever, recently cultured on axenic medium. Historically, massive outbreaks have occurred in Eurasia and Africa, but currently the disease is found only in Ethiopia and neighboring countries. Bartonella quintana is now recognized as an agent of bacillary angiomatosis bacteremia, trench fever, endocarditis, and chronic lymphadenopathy among the homeless. Rickettsia prowazekii is the agent of epidemic typhus. The most recent outbreak (and the largest since World War II) was observed in Burundi. A small outbreak was also reported in Russia in 1997. Louse infestation appears to become more prevalent worldwide, associated with a decline in social and hygienic conditions provoked by civil unrest and economic instability.

Animals↗

Pilot study of the prevalence of head lice infestation in a population of Saudi Arabian children.

The prevalence of infestation with the head louse, Pediculus capitis, was assessed among the child population, from birth to 10 years old inclusive, of the rapidly expanding Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah. Over a period of two months, 300 consecutive children attending the general practitioner for any reason were examined specifically to identify those infested with head lice: 37 cases of active infestation were found, which is an overall prevalence of 12%. An interesting distribution, however, was noted in respect of age, ranging from less than 2% in the first year of life, rising rapidly to around 30% in ages six to eight years, thereafter declining steadily to about 16% by age 10 years. The distribution of infestation among males and females was broadly similar. These results show a high head lice infestation, particularly in the early school years, where presumably interpersonal contacts are most frequent, facilitating contagious spread. As the head lice is known to spread several viral and rickettsial diseases, such as relapsing fever and typhus, greater efforts should be made towards patient education in hygiene, and towards identifying and treating the disease when found.

Child↗

Systemic activity of ivermectin on the human body louse (Anoplura: Pediculidae).

Eighty-one to 100% of nymphs and females of the human body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus) that fed artificially on blood containing 2.5-10 ng ivermectin/ml died. The mortality of nymphs and female lice fed on rabbits treated with 200 micrograms/kg ivermectin was very high during the first two to three days, then declined sharply, reaching the level of the controls on day six. Nymphs were more sensitive than females. The average number of eggs laid by surviving females and the percentage that hatched from those eggs were lower than in controls.

Animals↗