In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Infestation Deterrents Against Lice.
The human head louse is a cosmopolitan ectoparasite and frequently infests many people, particularly school-age children. Due to widespread pyrethroid resistance and the lack of efficient resistance management, there has been a considerable interest in the protection of uninfested people and prevention of reinfestation by disrupting lice transfer. In this study, two nonclinical model systems (in vitro and in vivo) were used to determine the efficacy of the infestation deterrents, Elimax lotion and Elimax shampoo, against human head lice or poultry chewing lice, respectively. With in vitro assessments, female head lice exhibited significantly higher avoidance responses to hair tufts treated with either of the test formulations, which led to significantly higher ovipositional avoidance when compared with female lice on control hair tufts. Additionally, both formulations were determined to be competent infestation deterrents in a competitive avoidance test in the presence of a known attractant (head louse feces extract). In in vivo assessments using a previously validated poultry model, Elimax shampoo was determined to be an efficacious deterrent against poultry chewing lice within Menopon spp. and Menacanthus spp.
Department of Biological Sciences and Environmental Sciences Program, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL 62026. These authors equally contributed to this work.
Kyong Sup
KS
Yoon
Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, PO box 334, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies. Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ross University, PO box 334, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies.
Jennifer K
JK
Ketzis
Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003.
Samuel W
SW
Andrewes
Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003.
Christopher S
CS
Wu
Oystershell laboratories, Booiebos 24, 9031, Drongen, Belgium.
Kris
K
Honraet
Oystershell laboratories, Booiebos 24, 9031, Drongen, Belgium.
Dorien
D
Staljanssens
Oystershell laboratories, Booiebos 24, 9031, Drongen, Belgium.
Bart
B
Rossel
Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003. jclark@vasci.umass.edu.
J
J
Marshall Clark
D058325:Amblycera; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006203:Hair Preparations; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides; D010373:Lice Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010374:Pediculus
D006203:Hair Preparations; D007306:Insecticides
Menacanthus spp.; Menopon spp.; Pediculus humanus capitis; human head louse; poultry chewing lice