Prevalence of infestation with head lice,Pediculus humanus capitis(De Geer), in primary school children in the center of Erbil city, Kurdistan region, Iraq

Pediculosis is an integumentary disease caused by the ecto-parasite Pediculus humanus capitis, which infests human hair. It is a common public health problem that is most prominent worldwide in elementary school children. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence, risk factors, and genetic diversity of P. humanus capitis among primary school children in the Erbil province. For this purpose, this study was conducted from October 2019 to December 2019 among 1100 randomly selected elementary school children aged 6-12. Data collection was performed via a regular questionnaire and physical hair examination. For the genetic diversity part, after collecting one louse randomly from each individual, DNA was extracted. The mitochondrial Cox1 gene was then amplified by universal primer and PCR. Gene sequencing was performed by ABI (BioNEER, South Korea). Data analysis was done by Chi-Square and T-test using the SPSS ver. 23. The overall infestation rate was 21.27%, and the rate was significantly higher among females (34.93%) compared to males (7.91%). Some variables had found the prevalence rate to be strongly affected. This included age; the rate was not significant (26.87%) in the age group 8-9 years compared to other age groups. According to hair length, the rate was significantly increased (36.52%) among children with tall hair. In terms of hair type, the incidence of curly-haired children was significantly higher (31.54%); in terms of hair color, there were not significant differences among blonde children (25.90%) and others. According to the results of Cox1 gene sequencing, of 234 infested children to lice, 86 (36.75%) of them were exposed to clade A, 38 (16.24%) were exposed to clade B, clade C has not been seen among any children (0%), 105 students (44.87%) were exposed to clade D, and 5 of them exposed to clade E (2.14%). Eventually, a significantly higher incidence (33.78%) was reported in rural primary school children. The infection rate of human head lice in Erbil province is still high, which is one of the health problems of children in public schools.

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Head Lice Among Primary School Children in Viana, Angola: Prevalence and Relevant Teachers’ Knowledge

Human Parasitic Diseases ◽

10.4137/hpd.s6970 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 11-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Keyword(s):

Primary School ◽

School Children ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Head Lice

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Prevalence of Pediculosis and Its Predictors among Urban Primary School Children in Kuantan, Pahang

IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia ◽

10.31436/imjm.v18i2.594 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Muhammad Rusyaidi Azali ◽

Nor Faiza Mohd Tohit ◽

Razman Mohd Rus

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Primary School ◽

School Children ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Female Gender ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Head Lice ◽

Pediculosis Capitis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Validated Questionnaire

Introduction: Pediculosis capitis among primary school children is always known as the problem of the lower socio-economic class and rural communities. It carries significant consequences to the school children and caregivers. Limited studies have been conducted among the urban populations. Thus, this study aims to investigate the prevalence and predictors of Pediculosis capitis among Urban primary school children in Kuantan. Materials and method: An analytical cross-sectional study using cluster random sampling was carried out in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. A selfadministered validated questionnaire was issued to the participants with purpose to collect socio-demographic data related to age, gender and factors that associated with head lice infestations among primary school children from standard one to six. It was then followed by hair and scalp examination by a well-trained examiners to check the infestation status. The results were analyzed using the chi-squared test and logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 1347 students from 5 schools were included in this study. Majority of them were males (53.6%), Malays (61.0%), household income between RM1000-RM2999 (32.1%). The overall prevalence was 9.1% (n=122). Multivariate analysis showed that predictors for pediculosis capitis were female gender (OR= 6.02, 95% CI= 2.97-12.21), Indian ethnicity (OR= 5.55 , 95% CI=3.26-9.45), sibling of more than 5 (OR= 2.72 , 95% CI=1.04-7.12) and contact with infested person (OR=2.42, 95% CI=1.58-3.71). Conclusion: The prevalence of Pediculosis capitis among urban primary school children in Kuantan, Pahang is endemic (9.1%) and predictors are female genders, Indian ethnicity, having siblings of more than 5 and contact with infested person. Hence, preventive measures are necessary to reduce the transmission of head lice among school children.

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