Could lice DNA spell the end of itchy heads?

THEY ARE the bane of parents across the country and we get itchy at the mere thought of them.

Now, scientists have announced a potential new way of tackling head lice after discovering a key to their genes.

One in ten British children has head lice at any one time and outbreaks in schools frequently have parents reaching for ‘nit combs’ and over-the-counter treatments.

But the bugs are proving more and more resistant to many lotions and sprays because they have evolved over time.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have now discovered a key breeding quirk of lice that could offer insight into new treatments.

When the insects mate, the males pass on only DNA from their own mothers to their offspring, instead of a mixture of DNA from both parents, as happens in most species. The female insects pass on DNA inherited from both of their parents.

The scientists say the findings on how the males pass on DNA could help lead to new ways to target lice, by looking at how genes that help the insects resist treatment pass through generations.

Andrés de la Filia, a PhD researcher who took part in the study, said the discovery could help with the development of remedies that target reproduction.

He said: ‘Pesticide products that kill lice have been used so much they have developed resistance. So it is important to think of different ways to attack them.

‘Male lice who are resistant to current treatments can very quickly produce a lot of resistant offspring, so chemicals that affect the fertility of male insects could limit the extent to which treatment-resistant genes are inherited.’

The researchers’ finding had never been previously observed in head lice, despite decades of extensive research on the widespread pest.

Head lice are harmless but widespread throughout the world. Scottish schools once had ‘nit nurses’ to inspect children’s hair but phased them out as the practice was considered a waste of resources.

Even alert letters, once sent out regularly to parents when a child in the class had an infestation, are no longer considered effective because head lice are so common.

The sesame seed-sized greybrown insects are usually picked up by head-to-head contact and it takes only 30 seconds for a louse to transfer from one scalp to another.

Female lice attach their eggs, known as nits, to hairs close to the scalp surface.

The NHS recommends weekly wet-combing to regularly check for head lice, which can also eradicate them. Other treatments include pesticides to kill them or silicone oils that suffocate them.

The study is published in the Medical and Veterinary Entomology Journal.