Prevalence of head lice in Turkey, Iran, Greece and Senegal

Several recent studies shed light on the prevalence of lice infection, and its relationship to socioeconomic factors, across the globe.

Turkey

A new study investigating lice prevalence in south eastern Turkey has found a 5% increase in the rate of infection among primary school students.

A study by Eroglu et al., published in the April 2016 edition of the Journal of Parasitology Research, screened students aged between 5 and 11 years from 28 different primary schools in Gaziantep over two different education terms.

These findings suggest health staff members need to improve health education programs in primary schools.

Iran

A recent survey of households in northwestern Iran found an overall lice prevalence rate of 6%, with strong correlation to family income.

The study by Dehghanzadeh et al., published in the November 2015 issue of Parasitology Research, found that girls were infected at higher rates than boys (though this was not statistically significant). Along with household income, lice infection was strongly correlated with room flooring material and whether animals were kept at home.

Greece

A recent survey in Athens also found strong correlations between infection rate and household income.

The study by Tagka et al., published in the May 2016 edition of the Journal of Medical Entomology targeted kindergarten children when investigating the prevalence of pediculosis with respect to the socioeconomic factors such as education, income and family composition.

The findings from 434 children revealed that head louse infestations were significantly higher in female children and in two-parent families and that lice infestations peaked in low- and medium-income families, with an overall infection rate of 5%.

Senegal

Finally, a recent report in the April edition of the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents indicated the possible presence of ivermectin-resistant head lice in a rural location in Senegal.