Comparative efficacy of commercial combs in removing head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae)

Gallardo, Anabella; Toloza, Ariel Ceferino; Vassena, Claudia V.; Picollo, María Inés; Mougabure‐Cueto, Gastón

doi:10.1007/s00436-012-3208-z

Cited by 24 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…However, the protocol employed was based on a protocol previously submitted by us to Huntingdon Local Research Ethics Committee (07/Q0104/44) for a similar procedure (Burgess et al, 2017) and was internally reviewed by the sponsor prior to being commissioned. The actual methodology of combing followed that used in a previously published study conducted elsewhere (Gallardo et al, 2013).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Head louse egg and nit remover—a modern “Quest for the Holy Grail”

Brunton

Whelan

French³

et al. 2019

PeerJ

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Background The eggs of head lice are fixed to the hair of their hosts by means of a persistent glue-like fixative that is not chemically bound to the substrate. Eggshells stuck to hairs after successfully treating the infestation are a cosmetic issue and a source of misunderstanding about whether the infestation is eliminated. Hitherto, no effective treatment to loosen louse eggs and nits has been found. Methods An extensive screening of surface active compounds, oils, esters, and other cosmetic lubricants used a slip-peel device to measure the forces required to release the grip of the fixative. Promisingly effective compounds were formulated into suitable carriers for further testing. The most effective combination formulation was tested, as a commercial product (Hedrin Stubborn Egg Loosening Lotion), in a usage study of 15 children with nits, in which one half of the head was combed only on damp hair and the other half combed after a 10 min treatment using the product. Results Laboratory tests of the forces required to remove nits found that pelagonic acid derivatives, particularly isononyl isononanoate, in the presence of a polymeric gelling agent and water, were most effective to reduce the initial grip of the fixative as well as reducing friction as the eggshell is drawn along the hair shaft and that the final product was significantly (p < 0.05) more effective than several other marketed materials. In the usage study significantly (p = 0.01046) more louse eggs and nits were removed after treatment with the gel. Discussion The product developed through this study is the first with a demonstrable efficacy for loosening the grip of the louse egg fixative from hair. Consequently, until now, and despite the availability of effective pediculicidal treatments, dealing with the eggshells persisting after an infestation has been an onerous task for most households. This type of product can enable families to deal more easily with persistent eggshells and improve self-esteem in affected children.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Head louse egg and nit remover—a modern “Quest for the Holy Grail”

Brunton

Whelan

French³

et al. 2019

PeerJ

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“…Health care institutions recommend that the hair is divided into small sections and each section is combed completely, repeating the combing procedure every one-two days until no lice are detected for 10 consecutive days ( Department of Health, 2019 ). It is difficult to assess and quantify the efficacy of wet combing from previous scientific studies ( Feldmeier, 2014 ) as this depends on a number of factors, including the nature of the comb ( Gallardo et al., 2013 ; Speare et al., 2002 ). Therefore, for numerical simulations we consider here three scenarios: (i) low effectiveness (combing removes 20% of live lice/eggs), (ii) moderate effectiveness (combing removes 50% of live lice/eggs), and (iii) high effectiveness (combing removes 80% of live lice/eggs).…”

Section: How To Treat Infestations: Four Possible Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Well-established treatment options for head lice infestations include therapeutic wet combing, topical application of a pediculicide, and oral treatments ( Feldmeier, 2012 ), the last not being considered in our study. Wet combing is a non-chemical treatment, optimal for detection of head lice infestations ( Gallardo, Toloza, Vassena, Picollo, & Mougabure-Cueto, 2013 ), but very time consuming when performed for taking advantage of its therapeutic effects ( Feldmeier, 2012 ). Most pediculicides, such as those based on malathion, pyrethrins and its synthetic derivates, can kill nymphs and adult lice, but are in general non-ovocidal.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deterministic approaches for head lice infestations and treatments

Castelletti¹,

Barbarossa²

2020

Infectious Disease Modelling

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Pediculus humanus capitis are human ectoparasites which cause infestations, mostly in children, worldwide. Understanding the life cycle of head lice is an important step in knowing how to treat lice infestations, as the parasite behavior depends considerably on its age and gender. In this work we propose a mathematical model for head lice population dynamics in hosts who could be or not quarantined and treated. Considering a lice population structured by age and gender we formulate the model as a system of hyperbolic PDEs, which can be reduced to compartmental systems of delay or ordinary differential equations. Besides studying fundamental properties of the model, such as existence, uniqueness and nonnegativity of solutions, we show the existence of (in certain cases multiple) equilibria at which the infestation persists on the host’s head. Aiming to assess the performance of treatments against head lice infestations, by mean of computer experiments and numerical simulations we investigate four possible treatment strategies. Our main results can be summarized as follows: (i) early detection is crucial for quick and efficient eradication of lice infestations; (ii) dimeticone-based products applied every 4 days effectively remove lice in at most three applications even in case of severe infestations and (iii) minimization of the reinfection risk, e.g. by mean of synchronized treatments in families/classrooms is recommended.

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“…However, the protocol employed was based on a protocol previously submitted by us Huntingdon Local Research Ethics Committee (07/Q0104/44) for a similar procedure (Burgess, et al, 2017) and was internally reviewed by the sponsor prior to being commissioned. The actual methodology of combing followed that used in a previously published study conducted elsewhere (Gallardo, et al 2013).…”

Section: Usage Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Peer Review #2 of "Head louse egg and nit remover—a modern “Quest for the Holy Grail” (v0.1)"

2019

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Background. The eggs of head lice are fixed to the hair of their hosts by means of a persistent glue-like fixative that is not chemically bound to the substrate. Eggshells stuck to hairs after successfully treating the infestation are a cosmetic issue and a source of misunderstanding about whether the infestation is eliminated. Hitherto, no effective treatment to loosen louse eggs and nits has been found. Methods. An extensive screening of surface active compounds, oils, esters, and other cosmetic lubricants used a slip-peel device to measure the forces required to release the grip of the fixative. Promisingly effective compounds were formulated into suitable carriers for further testing. The most effective combination formulation was tested, as a commercial product (Hedrin Stubborn Egg Loosening Lotion), in a usage study of 15 children with nits, in which one half of the head was combed only on damp hair and the other half combed after a 10 minute treatment using the product. Results. Laboratory tests of the forces required to remove nits found that pelagonic acid derivatives, particularly isononyl isononanoate, in the presence of a polymeric gelling agent and water, were most effective to reduce the initial grip of the fixative as well as reducing friction as the eggshell is drawn along the hair shaft and that the final product was significantly (p < 0.05) more effective than several other marketed materials. In the usage study significantly (p = 0.01046) more louse eggs and nits were removed after treatment with the gel. Discussion. The product developed through this study is the first with a demonstrable efficacy for loosening the grip of the louse egg fixative from hair. Consequently, until now and despite the availability of effective pediculicidal treatments, dealing with the eggshells persisting after an infestation has been an onerous task for most households. This type of product can enable families to deal more easily with persistent eggshells and improve self-esteem in affected children.

show abstract

Comparative efficacy of commercial combs in removing head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae)

Cited by 24 publications

References 8 publications

Head louse egg and nit remover—a modern “Quest for the Holy Grail”

Head louse egg and nit remover—a modern “Quest for the Holy Grail”

Deterministic approaches for head lice infestations and treatments

Peer Review #2 of "Head louse egg and nit remover—a modern “Quest for the Holy Grail” (v0.1)"

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