<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Head lice infestation with <em>Pediculus humanus capitis</em> is a widespread health concern among school children. The prevalence of lice infestation and the associated risk factors were assessed among primary school girls in Albaha region.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> A total of 672 girls in Al Makhwa area were examined and interviewed. The prevalence of pediculosis was 45.45%.<strong></strong></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> The results indicated there was a significant relation between lice infestation and several risk factors: crowdness in classrooms (89.52% in heavily crowded classes); sharing bedrooms (P≤0.001); hair washing frequency and the person washing it (P≤0.001); sharing combs and towels (69.53 and 71.4% respectively); using a hair-dryer (P≤0.001). Girls' school class level, hair characters, family income, number of family members, mother's education and occupation, mode of transport to school and presence of a house servant were found to have no significant impact on head lice infestation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Family education is needed to implement proper personal hygiene practices and cease sharing personal items. Periodic screening of students at school and home is recommended for early detection and treatment.</p>
The mosquito Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) is a disease vector for several pathogens that affect human health worldwide. Therefore, there is a need to produce synthetic chemicals that can effectively control mosquitoes; however, these chemicals can also cause a range of environmental and health problems. In the present review, we compiled all available information from the literature between 2005 and 2018 on plant products that have been used to control A. aegypti and tabulated their modes of action. This review classifies these plant-based products according to their bioactivities (toxicity, repellency, feeding deterrence, and oviposition deterrence) and provides new insights, findings, and patterns of their application. Plants contain a wide spectrum of chemical compounds that can effectively control mosquito populations; therefore, they should be developed to control diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. Plant products are mostly safe for human, animal, and environmental health. Moreover, because of the diversity and low use of plant-derived compounds as insect control agents, mosquitoes have not acquired resistance to them. The present review indicated that the bioactivities of many plant compounds can effectively control A. aegypti in laboratory conditions, and the comprehensive cataloging and classification of natural plant product bioactivities in this review will facilitate the search for new applications of these substances in insect pest control strategies.
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