Few head lice treatments have demonstrated effectiveness against louse eggs. Abametapir, a metalloproteinase inhibitor, is able to target metalloproteinases critical to egg hatching and louse development. In this double-blind, phase 2 study, 50 subjects aged ≥3 years with active head lice infestation were randomized to receive a single treatment of abametapir lotion, 0.74%, or vehicle (control), applied to scalp and hair for 10 minutes. Ovicidal efficacy was measured by recording the hatch rate of eggs collected from each subject's hair before and after treatment and incubated for 14 days. With abametapir, 100% of treated eggs remained unhatched compared with 64.0% for vehicle. Accounting for pretreatment hatch rates, the absolute reduction in egg hatching was 92.9% for abametapir versus 42.3% for vehicle ( < .0001). The most frequently reported adverse event was rash (16%). Abametapir lotion, 0.74%, demonstrated significant ovicidal activity against head lice eggs with a single application.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6388454PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2333794X19831295DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

head lice
16
abametapir lotion
12
lotion 074%
12
treatment abametapir
8
louse eggs
8
egg hatching
8
abametapir
6
eggs
5
head
4
lice treatment
4

Similar Publications

Head lice infestation (HLI), caused by De Geer, 1767, has long been a common global problem of school children. Permethrin is an old pyrethroid derivative that has been used commonly for its treatment, and it exerts its activity over the voltage-sensitive calcium channels (VSCC) of the lice. There has been a growing list of persistent HLI cases lately in the world among patients using permethrin, and knockdown resistance (kdr)-related point mutations on VSCC have been identified and reported from those resistant lice samples.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bartonella quintana Endocarditis Associated With Head Lice in a Canadian Indigenous Youth.

Pediatr Infect Dis J

December 2024

From the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics.

Bartonella quintana is a rare but important cause of culture-negative endocarditis, classically associated with body lice infestation. We report the first known pediatric case of Bartonella quintana endocarditis associated with head lice. The importance of sending targeted testing for this organism in at-risk patients, ideally on tissue specimens, is emphasized.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Bartonella quintana can lead to serious health issues, including endocarditis and chronic infections, and is mainly spread by body lice, particularly in homeless populations.
  • - A case study in the U.S. highlighted two kidney transplant recipients who contracted the infection from an organ donor who was homeless; one case was atypical while the other showed mild symptoms.
  • - Timely detection and treatment allowed both recipients to recover, emphasizing the importance of assessing organ donors' living conditions, specifically those with a history of homelessness or lice infestations, for potential B. quintana infections in transplant recipients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Bartonella quintana infection can cause serious health issues like bacillary angiomatosis and culture-negative endocarditis, mainly affecting individuals who are homeless.
  • In a study conducted in New York City between January 2020 and November 2023, five cases of left-sided, culture-negative endocarditis were identified in unsheltered homeless persons using molecular methods.
  • Most patients had serious complications and a history of body louse exposure, highlighting the need for clinicians to consider housing status and potential lice infestation when diagnosing and treating suspected cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Louseborne Bartonella quintana infections mainly affect homeless individuals in the U.S. due to poor hygiene resources, and these infections can impact organ transplant recipients.
  • The increase in homelessness raises concerns about the transmission of B. quintana through organ donations from former homeless donors.
  • To reduce B. quintana transmission, interventions like better housing access, hygiene resources, early treatment of infections, and testing/prophylactic treatments for transplant recipients are necessary.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!