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Mum-of-three makes tragic mistake

Three children have died after their mum used a toxic solution to treat a lice infestation in their hair. The mother used sheep dip, supplied by their dad, to treat the kids’ hair. The incident occurred in the Ungra commune in the Transylvania region of Romania. The girls’ mum had obtained the treatment from her husband, who was also the girls’ father and worked as a shepherd. Sheep dip, also known as Tomaxan, is normally used to wash sheep and stop animals suffering from skin infections and insect bites. But it is extremely toxic to humans and can be absorbed through the skin. All three girls, aged 7, 8, and 9, went into cardiac arrest shortly after their mum applied the Tomaxan to their hair. The seven-year-old and nine-year-old were pronounced dead at their home after emergency medical workers attempted to resuscitate them for an hour. “The parents came with children in their arms. The children were in cardiorespiratory arrest,” said Elena Napar, an employee of Rupea City Hospital where the ambulance came from. “The fact they were in a closed room, which meant that they breathed in the fumes, and that the children had wet hair soaked in the solution, which meant it was easily absorbed into the skin, unfortunately, mattered a lot.” The eight-year-old was transported to Mures County Hospital by helicopter but was pronounced dead the next day. The childrens’ mother and grandmother were also treated for respiratory problems and were discharged sometime later. Once she was able to leave, the mother was taken into custody where she and her husband were questioned. Authorities have said the couple face charges of culpable homicide and culpable bodily harm. The investigation is ongoing. Image: Getty Images

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Mum charged after daughter almost dies from lice

A woman in Indiana is facing neglect charges after investigators said her four-year-old daughter nearly died from a severe lice infestation that resulted in multiple blood transfusions. Shyanne Singh, 26, was arrested on Tuesday, May 4 on three felony counts of neglect of a dependent. She was released from custody on Friday at the Scott County Jail. Scottsburg police were contacted April 20 after Singh’s daughter was taken to hospital. According to a probable cause affidavit, doctors declared her a “near fatality” because lice had fed off her for so long. The child was so sick she couldn’t walk. According to court documents, a Department of Child Services supervisor also told police the girl’s blood haemoglobin levels were at 1.7, when she should have had a level of 12. As the lowest haemoglobin level the hospital had seen, the girl required four blood transfusions. The girl’s six-year-old sister also had lice. Both girls were placed in the care of their maternal grandparents in April, according to court records. Their grandmother told police that she tried to take care of the lice with treatments but a pharmacist told her to “take the kids to the hospital”. Singh’s mother confronted her about the condition her grandchildren were in, and Singh allegedly told her that “she didn’t notice, and that she was in a fog”, court documents state. Singh appeared for an initial hearing in front of a judge on Friday, who appointed a public defender for her.

Legal

Head lice drug Ivermectin is being tested as a possible coronavirus treatment

Researchers testing the head lice drug Ivermectin as a possible treatment for COVID-19 have <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166354220302011">seen promising results</a> in lab studies. But the research is in its early stages and the drug is yet to be tested on people with COVID-19. There’s so much we don’t know, including the right dose and delivery method for people with coronavirus infection. So if you’re thinking of buying some just in case, think again. What is Ivermectin currently used for? Ivermectin is an antiparasitic agent that was isolated in the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3043740/">1970s</a> from the fermented broth of a species of bacteria called Streptomyces avermitilis. The drug has been used since the 1980s to treat and prevent diseases related to parasites in humans, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2198752">pets and livestock</a>, and works by <a href="http://www.antimicrobe.org/drugpopup/Ivermectin.htm">paralysing invertebrate parasites</a>. In Australia, Ivermectin is mainly used topically in creams and lotions for head lice. It’s also used in tablet form to treat <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/strongyloides/gen_info/faqs.html">roundworm infection</a> and as a <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/radar/articles/ivermectin-stromectol-for-typical-and-crusted-scabies">second-line treatment for scabies</a> and <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rosacea/symptoms-causes/syc-20353815">rosacea</a>, a skin condition that causes redness and visible blood vessels in your face. The pharmaceutical company that makes Ivermectin, MSD, has also been <a href="http://www.msd.com/about/featured-stories/mectizan.html">donating the drug to developing countries</a> to treat the parasitic diseases river blindness and elephantiasis for the past 30 years. What are the side effects and potential harms? When used at the recommended dose, Ivermectin is generally well tolerated. Some of the common <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/australian-prescriber/articles/ivermectin-1">side effects</a> include diarrhoea, nausea, dizziness and drowsiness. Less common is a lack of energy, abdominal pain, constipation, vomiting, tremors, rashes and itching. Ivermectin may also <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/medicine-finder/stromectol-blister-pack-tablets">interact with some medicines</a>, such as the blood-thinning drug warfarin, or <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/ivermectin-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20064397?p=1">worsen some conditions</a> such as asthma. Ingesting Ivermectin found in topical products for head lice is dangerous. If this occurs, contact the <a href="https://www.poisonsinfo.nsw.gov.au/">Poison Information Hotline</a>. How might Ivermectin treat COVID-19? <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104787">Recent laboratory data</a> from <a href="https://www.monash.edu/discovery-institute/news-and-events/news/2020-articles/Lab-experiments-show-anti-parasitic-drug,-Ivermectin,-eliminates-SARS-CoV-2-in-cells-in-48-hours">scientists at Monash University and the Doherty Institute</a> suggests Ivermectin is able to stop SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, from replicating. Ivermectin has also been shown to stop other viruses (such as HIV, dengue, influenza and Zika) replicating, at least in the laboratory. The researchers found Ivermectin had an effect on SARS-CoV-2 after one exposure to the drug. Viral replication was shut down within 24 to 48 hours. It’s still not clear <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104787">exactly how Ivermectin works</a>. But it appears to stop the processes that allow proteins to move within the virus. These proteins would normally dampen the body’s antiviral response, allowing the virus to replicate and enhance the infection. Where is the research on Ivermectin for coronavirus up to? This research on Ivermectin has been conducted in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104787">cell culture</a> (cells grown in a laboratory) and is very preliminary. It provides some promise, but not evidence of an effective treatment in people (yet). Rigorous clinical trials in people with or exposed to COVID-19 infection are needed to establish the drug works and is safe to use, and in what doses. The laboratory studies of Ivermectin suggest higher concentrations of the drug may be needed <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2751445/">beyond a standard dose</a> to have an <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jac/article/75/4/827/5710696">antiviral impact</a>. So safety monitoring will be important. If Ivermectin is found to work on people with COVID-19, it needs to be studied as a potential treatment. So researchers need to know: does it prevent COVID-19 infection, reduce the severity of the associated illness, or improve the time to recovery? These are important questions to be answered before it becomes a treatment for COVID-19. On a positive note, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ddr.21666">re-purposing drugs</a> such as Ivermectin as a potential treatment for COVID-19 is ideal because development can move quickly to clinical trial testing because we already know it’s safe to use in humans at currently recommended doses. Should I buy some just in case? No. It’s too soon to know if the promising laboratory test results will translate into a safe and effective drug for COVID-19 patients. The researchers were very clear <a href="https://www.monash.edu/discovery-institute/news-and-events/news/2020-articles/Lab-experiments-show-anti-parasitic-drug,-Ivermectin,-eliminates-SARS-CoV-2-in-cells-in-48-hours">Ivermectin should not be used to treat COVID-19</a> until further testing is complete. We certainly shouldn’t be stockpiling the drug to use later, especially since we don’t yet know the best way to take Ivermectin, including the right dose. And it could lead to unintended medicine shortages for people who need the drug to treat serious diseases caused by parasites. Written by Andrew McLachlan. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/head-lice-drug-ivermectin-is-being-tested-as-a-possible-coronavirus-treatment-but-thats-no-reason-to-buy-it-135683">The Conversation.</a>

Caring

In case you’re itching to know: Head lice may be living on your plane headrest

Travelling on long-haul flights can already be an uncomfortable experience with minimal legroom, annoying passengers and terrible tasting food. So, with experts now having added head lice to that mix makes things even worse. Consultant dermatologist with the British Skin Foundation, Dr Sharon Wong told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/6952529/holidaymakers-warned-they-risk-getting-head-lice-from-plane-seats/" target="_blank">The Sun</a> that there is a possibility that passengers could contract head lice from plane headrests because of the period they have spent away from human contact. “Head lice don’t fly or jump as they are wingless,” she said. “Most commonly they infect another person via close contact and survive by blood fed from the scalp. However, they can survive off the human host for up to 48 hours. “So, within that timeframe, lice and eggs that have dropped off the hair shaft or hair strands that are infested with lice can potentially be cross transferred to another person by objects such as pillows, hairbrushes … and headrests.” With each airline having different cleaning schedules, it can be hard to say how often headrest covers are replaced. Flight attendants who have commented on online forums have said while headrests are regularly cleaned, they are very rarely changed, especially if it is a short haul flight. However, Dr Tess McPherson, a dermatologist with the British Association of Dermatologists, says the chance of an in-flight infestation is “incredibly low". “They are unlikely to jump off heads onto seats, as they like warm places, and in any case will only survive a short time and quite quickly become less lively or mobile when not on a human head,” Dr McPherson said. But if you’re still paranoid about the thought of head lice, pharmacist Shamir Patel says keeping head lice sprays in your luggage will reduce the chances of an infestation. “Some short-haul planes are performing four or five flights every single day, and if the seat comes into contact with a passenger with head lice, it’s very probable that some of the bugs could linger in the headrest,” he said. “I’d urge families not to fly if they know either themselves or their children have a head lice infestation, in order to protect other passengers. “Meanwhile there are good preventative, pre-emptive sprays and shampoos available which can stop head lice infesting you in the first place. “Look for products that contain the ingredients cyclomethicone and isopropyl myristate – which kill the lice by essentially dissolving the outer coating of their shell and dehydrating them to death.”

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