Prevalence, incidence, clinical manifestations and factors associated with pediculosis capitis in nursery school children of a low-income area from Colombia

Abstract

<jats:p>Objectives: epidemiology of pediculosis capitis was determined. The worldwide distributed ectoparasite, Pediculus humanus capitis, causes pediculosis capitis. Although risk factors for children are known, studies about its clinical description are rare. Materials and methods: cross-sectional descriptive study based on a sample (356 children) aged 1 to 5 of a low-income area from Popayán, Colombia. Two observations were practiced: at the beginning and at the end of the year 2017. Hair, scalp, lymphatic nodules and frontotemporal, parietal, occipital, nuchal and retroauricular cutaneous regions were examined. Insects were mechanically removed by wetting the hair and using lice combs. Nits, nymphs and adult lice were gathered and stored for future studies. Results: prevalence and incidence of pediculosis capitis were 5.1 % and 20.2 %, respectively. The associated variables were mainly infestation antecedent, long hair, female sex and eliminating with shampoo (95 % CI: 15-20). Clinical variables: presence of adenopathies, hair scalp inflammation and nuchal adenopathies (25-35 %); nits and lice localized in occipital region, hair scalp itching and retroauricular itching (20-25 %). Conclusions: pediculosis capitis affects those nursery children studied. It is important to know the variables associated for prevention, control and eradication of head lice infestation.&#x0D; </jats:p>

Prevalencia y variables asociadas a Pediculus humanus capitis en escolares de Caloto, Cauca, Colombia

“…Ser de sexo femenino y tener el pelo largo se han reportado como variables frecuentemente asociadas a la ectoparasitosis, según lo han informado por otros autores como Hatam-Nahavandi et al (6) y Medina-Ortega et al (19) en 2020, Ziaoddini et al (20) en 2019, Molina-Garza et al (21) y López-Valencia et al (11) en 2017; a su vez, estas características usualmente están relacionadas entre sí. Esto concuerda con lo reportado en el presente estudio, pues ser de sexo femenino (OR=11,440, IC 95 %: 4,376-29,908; p<0,001) y tener pelo largo (>5cm) (OR=7,398, IC 95 %: 3,190-17,1599; p<0,001) resultaron ser las dos principales variables asociadas a PC en los escolares de Caloto.…”

First Detection of Acinetobacter baumannii in Pediculus humanus capitis from Latin America

“…In Argentina, a study in Buenos Aires in 2018 reported prevalence figures ranging from 26.4% to 69% in children enrolled in several primary schools [28]. In Colombia, Medina-Ortega et al reported that the prevalence and incidence of pediculosis capitis among 356 children in a low-income site were 5.1% and 20.2%, respectively [29]. In a study in a daycare in urban Bogota, the prevalence of pediculosis among 178 children ranged from 2.12% to 18.7% in a 7-month period [30].…”