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Drug-Resistant ‘Super Lice’ Is Spreading, And We Shouldn't Be Surprised
Tests in 25 states have revealed an outbreak of drug-resistant “super lice” that are immune to current over-the-counter treatment options. Of course, this news comes as no surprise to scientists who have been reporting samples of head lice with very high levels of resistance to pyrethroids, the chemical found in most over-the-counter lice medications.
Although pyrethroids used to work 100 percent of the time back in 2000, research showed a drop in effectiveness to 25 percent by 2013. The Lice Clinics of America recommend using AirAllé, an FDA-approved medication that has shown promise in treating this drug-resistant strain. It costs $170 and is covered by most insurers.
“We use heated air and we dehydrate the lice and the eggs in a single treatment,” Claire Roberts, CEO of Lice Clinics of America, told KSDK. “It takes about an hour, and we guarantee it.”
From six to 12 million children between the ages of 3 and 12 contract head lice each year. Above all else, healthcare experts recommend prevention as the best treatment method for lice. That means avoiding hat and hairbrush sharing and actual contact with hair or another head. Clothing and bed sheets that have come into contact with lice should be washed and dried using hot water and hot air.
Drug-Resistant ‘Super Lice’ Is Spreading, And We Shouldn't Be Surprised
Tests in 25 states have revealed an outbreak of drug-resistant “super lice” that are immune to current over-the-counter treatment options. Of course, this news comes as no surprise to scientists who have been reporting samples of head lice with very high levels of resistance to pyrethroids, the chemical found in most over-the-counter lice medications.
Although pyrethroids used to work 100 percent of the time back in 2000, research showed a drop in effectiveness to 25 percent by 2013. The Lice Clinics of America recommend using AirAllé, an FDA-approved medication that has shown promise in treating this drug-resistant strain. It costs $170 and is covered by most insurers.
“We use heated air and we dehydrate the lice and the eggs in a single treatment,” Claire Roberts, CEO of Lice Clinics of America, told KSDK. “It takes about an hour, and we guarantee it.”
From six to 12 million children between the ages of 3 and 12 contract head lice each year. Above all else, healthcare experts recommend prevention as the best treatment method for lice. That means avoiding hat and hairbrush sharing and actual contact with hair or another head. Clothing and bed sheets that have come into contact with lice should be washed and dried using hot water and hot air.
Drug-Resistant ‘Super Lice’ Is Spreading, And We Shouldn't Be Surprised
