Until now shampoos and lotions commonly bought over the counter have been the most popular tools to do battle with head lice infestations, but now those many of those products do not appear to be working.
Last year a study conducted by the Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, U.S. found that head lice had become resistant to conventional treatments in 25 of the 50 states.
Warmer weather means more lice
Now, experts in the United Kingdom are warning of a huge explosion in the number of head lice outbreaks, due to both the new drug resistant ‘super nit’, and the fact that a warmer winter and damper spring have provided the ideal breeding grounds.
And with global weather patterns leading to milder and more humid conditions worldwide, the United Kingdom is unlikely to be the only country suffering from a major outbreak during the course of this year.
So why is this happening?
It all boils down to the most common ingredient to be included in head lice shampoos and lotions is Permethrin, which is part of the pyrethroid family of insecticides.
It is commonly used in treatments to stamp out head lice, as well as mosquitoes and bed bugs, and acts by simply poisoning the lice and preventing new eggs from being hatched.
Drug resistance worldwide
The problem is that over the years head lice have slowly developed a resistance to the drug through genetic mutation. Worldwide scientists are facing the same problem in the battle against a large number of infections and diseases that are becoming harder to treat due to drug resistance.
Tea tree oil is widely suggested as a natural alternatives, but there are concerns that if not diluted correctly, it could burn a child’s scalp – and because children are far more likely to succumb to a lice infestation than adults, this is a significant concern.
In the US alone six to 12 million children are said to be infested with hair lice every year, and unless scientists develop an effective treatment for the new drug resistant strain, this infestation rate is likely to only climb.