Moemenbellah Fard MD - Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Dept. Medical Entomology, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Background: Infestation with the head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer, 1778 (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae), or pediculosis, is an obligatory ectoparasitic disease of mostly young females in developing and developed world alike. It is mainly transmitted by direct head-to-head contact or indirectly via shared pillow, scarf, comb, etc.Objective: This study was conducted to outline the most recent findings in the treatment of pediculosis among school girls.Materials and Methods: Two isolated clinical trials were carried out in Lar and Kavar of Fars province, south Iran. Using plastic detection comb (PDC) and lindane vs. permethrin and permethrin vs. d-phenothrin or dimeticone lotion, we performed treatments on school girls in these two settings.Results: It is most prevalent in school girls aged 6-13 years old. Pathology is manifested as pruritus due to saliva and fecal antigens’ presentation on the occipital and post-auricular areas of patient’s head. Bug Busting or wet combing, in contrast to dry combing, is the cardinal practice of head lice control. Insecticide-based shampoos (including permethrin) are, however, vastly applied. Treatment failures due to non-compliance, inappropriate use of pediculicide, re-infestation, and resistance were thus inevitableConclusion: As a result of two separate IRCT trials, as well as the search of recent valid literature, it is found the superior efficacy of dimeticone over permethrin conduces to the shifting use of the former over the latter