Head louse infestation among girls in an orphanage and women in a mental hospital and mass-delousing with bioallethrin (PARA™ aerosol)

Original Article


Korean J Parasitol. 1992 Mar;30(1):49-52. English. Published online Mar 20, 1994. http://dx.doi.org/10.3347/kjp.1992.30.1.49
Copyright © 1992 by The Korean Society for Parasitology


Head louse infestation among girls in an orphanage and women in a mental hospital and mass-delousing with bioallethrin (PARA™ aerosol)
K S Pai
Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752, Korea.


Abstract
After evaluation of presence of nits and/or lice, PARA™ aerosol(bioallethrin with piperonyl butoxide) was applied to 97 women and 43 girls, regardless of the results of their infestation, living at 2 separate institutions. Twelve days after the first treatment the second treatment was carried out and the presence of head lice was examined for the evaluation of treatment effect. Among total 140 subjects, 98(70.0%) were nit positive and 85(60.7%) were louse positive. The infestation rates of girls by nit(86.0%) and louse(86.0%) were higher than those of women, nit 62.9% and louse 49.5% (p < 0.01). Also the detection rate of lice among nit positive subjects was higher in girls(100%) than in women(78.7%). On the second evaluation 12 days after treatment, 36(97.3%) out of 37 girls and 46(95.8%) out of 48 women were found louse-free. There was no difference in the treatment efficacy between the women and girls.

Figures


	Figs. 1-3 Fig. 1. Viable nits (arrows) are full with dark brown content while non-viable ones are collapsed and like milky glass. Fig. 2. Outstanding numerous white nits contrasted to the hairs. The head louse does not appear itself easily by its protective color (in circle). Fig. 3. Head lice (nymphs to adults) harvested from a patient after topical application of bioallethrin.

Tables


	Table 1 Demographics of subjects of two institutions


	Table 2 Formular of PARA™ aerosol


	Table 3 Infestation rates of head lice and nits


	Table 4 Infestation rates of head lice among nitpositive subjects


	Table 5 Removal rates of head lice after treatment with bioallethrin supplemented with piperonyl butoxide

References


1.	de Boer R. Efficacy of malathion and synergised bioallethrine in the treatment of head louse, Pediculus humanus ssp. capitis, infestations. Acta Leiden 1984;52:53–59.

2.	Gurevitch AW. Scabies and lice. Pediatr Clin North Am 1985;32(4):987–1018.

3.	Kim TK, Park CP, Ho S. [Head Louse Infestation Among The Students In Yongyang-Gun, Kyongsangbuk-To]. Korean J Parasitol 1984;22(2):273–276.

4.	Pai KS, Huh S. [Head louse infestation among school children in Sanbuk-myon, Mungyong-gun, Kyongsangbuk-do (1985)]. Korean J Parasitol 1987;25(1):85–86.

5.	Pai KS, Park MS, Lee YS, Kim DH, Chung KS, Lee KY, Kim PK, Kim KY, Yong TS, Ree HI, et al. [The prevalence of head louse infestation among urban and rural children in Korea]. Korean J Parasitol 1989;27(4):271–275.