Head lice myths still commonplace among Canadians

Survey sheds light on gaps in awareness regarding spread and treatment

RICHMOND HILL, ON, May 20, 2015 /CNW/ - A recent survey of more than 1,500 Canadians showed that common myths regarding human head lice (pediculosis capitis) are still commonplace among adults and parents of school-aged children.ⁱ

These misconceptions, along with the burden of head lice itself, can lead to great discomfort, anxiety and embarrassment for those affected.ⁱⁱ

"Often, individuals feel embarrassed just talking about the condition, not realizing that having head lice is not an indicator of poor hygiene," says Priti Bhathella BSc (Pharm), RPh at Elements Compounding Pharmacy in Victoria, British Columbia.  "The need for education and awareness regarding the condition and treatment options is paramount." 

The survey results indicated: ⁱⁱⁱ

• One out of five Canadians think individuals who come from low-income families are more likely to contract head lice.
• Thirty-eight per cent of Canadians think poor hygiene is a factor in the spread of an infestation.
• Canadian men are significantly more likely to believe poor hygiene is a contributing factor than women (50 per cent vs. 26 per cent).
• Nearly two-thirds (59 per cent) of Canadians believe head lice can be contracted by lice "jumping" from person to person.

Most surprisingly, only a small majority of Canadians (59 per cent) believe head lice can become resistant to certain forms of treatment.^iv Recent studies show that 97.1 per cent of head lice demonstrate resistance to insecticides, which are considered the standard of care in Canada.^v Topical treatments containing insecticides have been shown to be potentially toxic to the brain, spinal cord nerves and nerve cells.^vi  Resultz® head lice treatment is an isopropyl myristate rinse that works in 10 minutes to effectively eliminate head lice without the use of insecticides.^vii 

"Many Canadians don't realize there is increasing resistance to insecticide-based treatments for head lice," says Bhathella. "This may result in repeated applications and exposure to resistant products, increasing frustration due to treatment failure. However, with newer treatment options, this does not have to be case, and head lice treatment can be manageable and successful."

To date, resistance to isopropyl myristate has not been reported,^viii and its mechanical mechanism of action makes the development of lice resistance unlikely.^ix Head lice are the most prevalent parasitic infection in North America, which most frequently affect children between three and 12 years old; ^x however it doesn't discriminate with age.^xi Fortunately, head lice can be treated easily and don't need to be a source of social embarrassment or panic.

Resultz® is widely available, as well as listed on a number of provincial formularies such as the Ontario Drug Benefit Program.

About Head Lice:
Head lice (pediculosis capitis) are tiny insects that live on the scalp and feed on human blood.^xii  An individual louse is about as big as a sesame seed and spreads through direct contact only.^xiii Lice live approximately 40-50 days and go through three stages in their life cycle: the Nit stage, the Nymph stage, and the Adult stage.^xiv Nits are eggs laid by the female louse.^xv They are about the size of a poppy seed^xvi and are difficult to see because of their nearly transparent colour that blends easily with any colour of hair.^xvii The adult female attaches her nits with a waterproof, glue-like substance that can't be washed, brushed or blown away.^xviii Head lice cannot fly or jump from one person to another; they can only crawl at a rapid rate, and can spread through head-to-head contact, or by sharing personal items.^xix

About Resultz:
Resultz Head Lice Treatment (Isopropyl Myristate Rinse) is colourless, odorless, and works in only 10 minutes by dissolving a louse's waxy external shell, leading to water loss, and causing the lice to dehydrate, become immobile, and die.^xx Resultz does not contain traditional insecticides, and is it not considered poisonous to nerves or nerve cells.^xxi It can be purchased at a variety of Canadian retailers, and was deemed a safer, more effective option than the products currently listed on the Ontario Drug Benefit Program by the Committee to Evaluate Drugs (CED).^xxii For more information, visit www.getresultz.ca.

About Medical Futures Inc.
Medical Futures Inc. is a niche pharmaceutical company with a focus on Gastroenterology, Pain Management, Dermatology and Women's Health. It provides Canadians with safe, effective and affordable products to help improve the overall quality of their lives. For more information about Medical Future Inc. please visit www.medfutures.com.  Some of Medical Futures current product offerings include: Proferrin^® Moviprep^®, Diaflor™, Aldesolve™, Purfem^®, and Durela^®

A survey of 1527 Canadians was completed online between December 15th-19th 2014 using Leger's OMNI web. An additional sample of n=300 parents with a child in the household under the age of 18 was collected. A probability sample of the same size (n=1827) would yield a margin of error of +/- 2.3%, 19 times out of 20.

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ⁱ Leger Head Lice Survey December 2014
ⁱⁱ Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care, Committee to Evaluate Drugs (CED) Recommendations and Reasons, April 2010.  
ⁱⁱⁱ Leger Head Lice Survey December 2014
^iv Leger Head Lice Survey December 2014
^v Marcoux, D.  Pyrethroid Pediculicide Resistance of Head Lice in Canada Evaluated by Serial Invasive Signal Amplification Reaction Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, Vol 14, No 3, 2010, pp 115-118
^vi Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care, Committee to Evaluate Drugs (CED) Recommendations and Reasons, April 2010.  
^vii Consumer Product Information www.getresultz.ca Accessed on January 15, 2015. 
^viii Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care, Committee to Evaluate Drugs (CED) Recommendations and Reasons, April 2010.  
^ix Kaul, N.  North American Efficacy of a Novel Pediculicide Rinse, Isopropyl Myrstate 50% (Resultz). Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, Vol 11, No 5, 2007: pp 161-167
^x Marcoux, D.  Pyrethroid Pediculicide Resistance of Head Lice in Canada Evaluated by Serial Invasive Signal Amplification Reaction Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, Vol 14, No 3, 2010, pp 115-118
^xi Health Link BC. Head Lice. August 2014. Web. Date accessed May 4, 2015.  http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthfiles/hfile06.stm
^xii What are head lice? Centre for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/gen_info/faqs.html Accessed on April 29, 2015.
^xiii What are head lice? Centre for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/gen_info/faqs.html Accessed on April 29, 2015.
^xiv What are head lice? Centre for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/gen_info/faqs.html Accessed on April 29, 2015.
^xv What are head lice? Centre for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/gen_info/faqs.html Accessed on April 29, 2015.
^xvi LiceMD. How to Check for Lice. 2013. Web. Accessed April 29, 2015. http://www.licemd.com/check-for-lice-symptoms.php
^xvii Head lice 101: What lice look like, how they behave, and how kids get them Baby Centre http://www.babycenter.com/0_head-lice-101-what-lice-look-like-how-they-behave-and-how-ki_10892.bc  Accessed on April 29, 2015
^xviii Head lice 101: What lice look like, how they behave, and how kids get them Baby Centre http://www.babycenter.com/0_head-lice-101-what-lice-look-like-how-they-behave-and-how-ki_10892.bc  Accessed on April 29, 2015
^xix Head lice 101: What lice look like, how they behave, and how kids get them Baby Centre http://www.babycenter.com/0_head-lice-101-what-lice-look-like-how-they-behave-and-how-ki_10892.bc  Accessed on April 29, 2015
^xx Consumer Product Information www.getresultz.ca Accessed on January 15, 2015. 
^xxi Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care, Committee to Evaluate Drugs (CED) Recommendations and Reasons, April 2010.  
^xxii Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care, Committee to Evaluate Drugs (CED) Recommendations and Reasons, April 2010.  

SOURCE Medical Futures Inc.

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