New perspectives on active pediculosis detection in schoolchildren from Southern Brazil

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v10i6.15793

Keywords:

Pediculus capitis; Lice infestation; Public health; Diagnosis; Child health.

Abstract

The present study aims to analyze the prevalence and risk factors of active pediculosis and to compare the efficacy and sensitivity of the vacuum method with the comb method and the visual inspection with a magnifying glass in order to determine the best methodology to detect active pediculosis among schoolchildren from Paraná state. Each child was examined by the three methods in sequence and a playful activity was introduced to increase the children likelihood to participate in the study. Additionally, hair characteristics and other risk factors as sex, age, and area of living were take into consideration to measure epidemiological aspects. From a total of 358 schoolchildren from southern Brazil, overall pediculosis prevalence was 45.5%, while active pediculosis prevalence was 13.1%. Regarding active pediculosis, there was no statistical difference among sex. However, nine-year-old girls were most likely to have active pediculosis. The vacuum method was 5.96 and 11.29 times more efficacious than the magnifying glass method and the comb method, respectively, and also had higher sensitivity (74.5%) in detecting active pediculosis. When analyzing hair characteristics, children with long and wavy/curly hair were more often diagnosed by the vacuum method than children with short and wavy/curly hair. The vacuum method was the most effective method and proved to be an optimal option to detect active pediculosis among schoolchildren, mostly in children with wavy/curly hair.

Author Biographies

Bruno Paulo Rodrigues Lustosa, Federal University of Paraná

Doctor student Engineering Bioprocess and Biotechnology Graduate Program, Department of Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 81530-000, Brazil

Larissa Reifur, Federal University of Paraná

Professor at Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 81530-000, Brazil

Juciliane Haidamak , Federal University of Paraná

Doctored in Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Graduate Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Microbiology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 81530-000, Brazil

Marielly Ospedal Batista, Federal University of Paraná

Department of Basic Pathology, Microbiology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 81530-000, Brazil

Adelino Tchilanda Tchivango, Instituto Superior Politécnico de Malanje

Professor at Instituto Superior Politécnico de Malanje

Bruna Jacomel Favoreto de Souza Lima, Federal University of Paraná

Doctored student in Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Graduate Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Microbiology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 81530-000, Brazil

Camila Yumi Oishi Kampmann, Federal University of Paraná

Master in Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Graduate Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Microbiology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 81530-000, Brazil

Vania Aparecida Vicente, Federal University of Paraná

Professor at Engineering Bioprocess and Biotechnology Graduate Program, Department of Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 81530-000, Brazil

Professor at Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Graduate Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Microbiology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 81530-000, Brazil

Maria Adela Valero, University of Valencia

Professor en el Departamento de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, València, Spain

Márcia Kyoie Shimada, Federal University of Paraná

Professor at Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 81530-000, Brazil

Debora do Rocio Klisiowicz, Federal University of Paraná

Professor at Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Graduate Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Microbiology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 81530-000, Brazil

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Published

10/06/2021

How to Cite

LUSTOSA, B. P. R.; REIFUR, L.; HAIDAMAK , J.; BATISTA, M. O. .; TCHIVANGO, A. T.; LIMA, B. J. F. de S.; KAMPMANN, C. Y. O.; VICENTE, V. A.; VALERO, M. A. .; SHIMADA, M. K.; KLISIOWICZ, D. do R. New perspectives on active pediculosis detection in schoolchildren from Southern Brazil. Research, Society and Development, [S. l.], v. 10, n. 6, p. e58210615793, 2021. DOI: 10.33448/rsd-v10i6.15793. Disponível em: https://rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/15793. Acesso em: 19 apr. 2024.

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Section

Health Sciences