WASHINGTON– Researchers say a strain of mutated head lice is on the move around the country and has already arrived in Maryland and Virginia.
These lice have built up a resistance to pyrethroids — over-the-counter treatments that have been used for years.
Scientists from Southern Illinois University and the University of Massachusetts recently told the American Chemical Society that they found samples of mutated lice in 25 of the first 30 states they studied. They predict that soon, these “super-lice” will be found everywhere.
John Marshall Clark, a member of the research team, said that for more than two decades pyrethroids have been the only option for dealing with head lice. He said they were easily available at drug stores and safe enough to use on children.
But the days of home treatment with over-the-counter products appear to be coming to an end. Three new insecticides have been developed to treat head lice and all of them require a doctor’s prescription.
Clark says they work in different ways to kill the bugs. Doctors are being told to rotate their use on patients, lessening the chance a new drug-resistant strain of head lice could emerge.
Scientists have known for some time that insects have a tendency to build resistance to insecticides after years of repeated use, so these findings should not come as a total surprise.
All the same, Clark and his research team — accustomed to long days in the laboratory — now find themselves actively seeking out health professionals to spread the word.
They recently spoke to the National Association of School Nurses. Clark said he was surprised to find that even though they see lice infestations all the time, they were not aware of the science behind these drug-resistant bugs.
