Prevalence of Pediculus capitis Infestation among Primary School Students in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran (2018 – 2019)

Abstract

Background and objectives: Head louse, also known as Pediculus humanus capitis, is an obligate ectoparasite that is a distributed all around the world. The aim of present study was to determine the prevalence of head lice infestation in primary school students in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Methods: Overall, 3,032 students (1,515 boys and 1,517 girls) from 33 primary schools in Tabriz were selected via multistage cluster sampling in 2018. The students were examined individually and privately by experts. Head lice infestation was confirmed by detecting adult or nymph or nits less than 1 cm from base of hair. Data analysis was carried out in SPSS software package (version 23). Association of participants’ characteristics with pediculosis infestation was evaluated using logistic regression and chi-square test at significance