Loading...
The CDC estimates that 6 to 12 million cases of head lice infestation occur in the U.S. annually. Unfortunately, resistance to permethrin has become increasingly common. Spinosad — a fermentation product of soil bacterium that causes central nervous system paralysis in insects — is under development as an alternative treatment. In two parallel, multicenter, industry-supported trials, 391 households with 949 infected cases (age range, 0.5–84 years; mean age, 14–19 years) were randomized to treatment with 1% permethrin creme rinse with nit combing or 0.9% spinosad creme rinse without nit combing. Participants were inspected 7 days after using the treatment at home and retreated if still infected. The primary outcome was the proportion of prim…