We often see news stories about “superbugs” and how some infections are becoming resistant to antibiotics, but we don’t immediately think of lice as belonging to that group of resistant “bugs.” However, lice in many states around the country have become literal superbugs with their resistance to standard, over-the-counter medications.
Over time, the “bugs” responsible for infections develop strengths that help them survive rounds of antibiotics. Similarly, actual bugs – lice – have strengthened over time as each generation has only survived with the strongest bugs able to withstand various standard lice treatments like over-the-counter lice shampoo.
Lice treatments usually include the use of a pyrethroid, which is an insecticide that is often used to control mosquitoes. However, a team of researchers in Illinois found that most lice populations around the country have developed a gene mutation that allows them to survive pyrethroid treatment.
Why is Back-to-School Lice Time?
Lice aren’t like other bugs that jump around from host to host and travel independently to find new places to live and breed. Instead, lice only transfer hosts in close quarters, such as in the schoolroom. Since kids aren’t usually in a classroom packed together with 30 of their classmates during the summer, infestations only spread when school begins again.
Although lice haven’t generally been shown to carry disease or cause medical problems, they’re disruptive because of the persistent itchiness they cause. Unfortunately, these resistant lice are harder to kill, which means kids aren’t able to get rid of the infections easily after catching lice from a fellow student.
The Rise of Resistant Lice
Lice that are resistant to treatment are common across the country, but they were first seen in the Middle East in the 1990s. Scientists saw those lice appear for the first time in the United States around the year 2000 in Massachusetts. Since their initial discovery, the lice have spread across the United States, and only five states have areas where the lice don’t have the mutation.
And, out of that handful of states, only Michigan has more vulnerable lice than mutated lice. Although treatments exist for the mutated lice, those treatments are prescription-strength, and they’re not as gentle as the over-the-counter medication. Schools and doctors normally recommend the over-the-counter treatment for lice, but the large populations of resistant lice have made it difficult to treat lice without using stronger medication.
Further research from scientists on the mutated lice has found that there are actually three different mutations that various lice have developed that make the lice resistant to traditional over-the-counter treatments. States where all three types of lice were found included California, Florida, Maine, and Texas.
What Should Parents Do About Resistant Lice?![Lice treatment san antonio medical center]()
A report from CBS News reveals that as many as 12 million kids between the ages of three and 11 in the United States will catch lice when school begins. With resistant populations growing in numbers and strength for at least two decades, the possibility of a child coming into contact with the mutated lice is significant.
Obviously, moving the family to a less infected state because of lice isn’t a viable solution, so what should parents do?
A press release from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that students aren’t kept home to avoid head lice. They also recommend that schools don’t create policies that ban students with lice from coming to school. The association recommends that parents work with their child’s pediatrician if they find that over-the-counter treatment doesn’t work. Additionally, it’s important to have everyone in the house checked for lice if a child catches lice at school.
If your child catches resistant lice this year at school, you’ll want to visit a family practice center like Pro-Care Medical Center to discuss options for treatment. Getting rid of the lice is important because the bugs can interfere with a student’s ability to concentrate and learn in the classroom. Schedule an appointment today at one of our Austin or San Antonio medical center locations.
The post Family Medicine – Head Resistant Lice in Texas appeared first on Pro-Care Medical Center.