Head lice becoming resistant to treatment, study says

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It looks like the battle of parents against head lice and nits is coming to a close, and the parents will be on the losing end as a new research discovers that these parasites are beginning to show resistance against common treatments.

Telegraph UK writes that based on the study of Dr. Kyong Yoon and his team from the Southern Illinois University, out of 109 lice samples they have collected, 104 have shown high levels of gene alterations. These mutations have been linked by the researchers to resistance to pyrethroids, insecticides that are widely used against mosquitoes and other insects. The active ingredient, permethrin, is what makes it a lice treatment used all over the country.

Dr. Yoon said their study is the first large-scale sample that has been done even though resistance of lice to pyrethroid has been manifesting for years, the first one shown in Israel during the late '90s. The professor has started to notice the phenomenon in 2000 after he has graduated from the University of Massachusetts.

The study has used the molecular diagnostic tool developed by Dr. Yoon and his team to track and follow American lice, Philly reports. The samples have shown 100-percent resistance to the treatment, which has caused alarm among the experts.

Out of all the lice taken from 25 states, 12 states have shown a variety of lice that has "knock-down resistant mutations," a genetic alteration that makes lice completely immune to permethrin treatment. Four states which includes New Jersey, New York, New Mexico and Oregon have shown partial-resistant mutation. The lice sample taken from Michigan is the only type showing no resistance at all.

Professor of microbiology and pathology Philip Tierno from the NYU School of Medicine has shown little surprise with the results. He believes that lice and other parasitic insects like bedbugs have been constantly exposed to permethrin. This is due to other pesticides being banned by the government for fear that terrorists are using them to do harm on the human race.

TIME Magazine adds that although there are no reports of lice infestation causing any diseases, these pests still pose a serious problem to the country. With the impending back-to-school season, it will probably make more parents worried due to its highly contagious nature. The researchers advise parents to consult their physicians because there are still available prescription-based treatments in the market today.