title: Prevalence of Pediculus capitis infestation among school children of Chinese refugees residing in mountanous areas of northern Thailand.
abstract: An epidemiologic survey of Pediculus capitis infestation among Akka aboriginal and Han children of Chinese refugees living in mountainous areas at elevations of 1,100 to 1,400 m in Chiang-Rai Province of northern Thailand was conducted during January 2003. Of the 303 children examined, 43 (14.2%) had P. capitis infestation. The overall infestation rate for P. capitis in Akka children (29.3%, 12/41) was significantly higher than that in Han children (11.8%, 31/262; chi2 = 8.161, p = 0.002). The prevalence in Akka (52.2%, 12/23) and Han girls (19.7%, 31/157) was higher than that in Akka (0%) and Han boys (0%), respectively (p < 0.001), and the prevalence was higher in Akka girls than in Han girls (chi2 = 10.978, p = 0.001). The high prevalence of P. capitis infestation among these girls was possibly due to poor environmental hygiene and unavailability of sufficient water.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Wan-Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. tedfan@tmu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Chia-Kwung
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Chien-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Ming-Shuan
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Neng-Yeou
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Kua-Eyre
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Su
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010373:Lice Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D010374:Pediculus; D015995:Prevalence; D012036:Refugees; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology