PERMETHRIN RESISTANCE IN THE HEAD LOUSE PEDICULUS-CAPITIS FROM ISRAEL

Head lice, Pediculus capitis, were collected from children aged 3-12 y ears in Maale Adumin, a town near Jerusalem, after reports of control failure with the pyrethroid insecticide permethrin. A total of 1516 ch ildren were examined: living lice and eggs were found on 12.1% of the children; or another 22.8% of the children only nits were found. Twice as many girls as boys (8.1% v 4%) were infested with lice and or nits . Head lice collected from infested children were exposed to permethri n impregnated filter-papers. Log time probit mortality (Itp) regressio n lines were calculated for mortality data and compared to Itp lines f or a similar collection of head lice made in 1989. The regression line s for the two years were significantly different, with a 4-fold decrea se in susceptibility at the LT(50) level between 1989 and 1994. The sl opes of the lines also suggested that the 1994 population was more het erogenous in its response to permethrin than the 1989 population. In c ontrast, a laboratory population of body lice (Pediculus humanus) test ed with the same batch of permethrin-impregnated papers showed a sligh t but nonsignificant increase in susceptibility between 1989 and 1994. The results suggest that resistance to pyrethroids has developed rapi dly among head lice since permethrin was introduced in 1991 as a pedic ulicide in Israel.