Prevalence and incidence of head lice

Abstract

[Extract] Head lice are cosmopolitan insects, and infestations are prevalent throughout the world. Prevalence varies considerably among populations, gender, age groups and according to behavioural factors within a population. In general, head lice are more common at younger age and in females. It is commonly accepted that girls have a higher prevalence of infestation due to playing with each other more closely than age-matched boys. Independent of socio-cultural settings, prevalence of infestation may be high. During recent years, anecdotal evidence suggested that the prevalence has increased worldwide, mainly in resource-rich countries.