Study: Head Lice Becoming Resistant To Common Treatments

As more students head back to school, there's one thing parents need to be on the lookout for, head lice. Now, there's concern common ways to battle the bugs may not work anymore.

You could say this is real head-scratcher for doctors. A new study shows head lice are becoming genetically resistant to common treatments.

Researchers say species in at least 25 states have developed a resistance to an insecticide found in commonly prescribed over-the-counter remedies. It turns out, as treatments are used over and over, genetic defenses get passed on.

"Whatever reason they're not dying, they pass that on to their offspring, and then you have a whole population of lice that's not affected by this treatment,” said Molly Keck,Texas A&M Entomologist.

Doctors say you can ask for prescription medication, but those can be costly.

So far, Oklahoma is not one of the state's seeing mutated head lice. But our neighbors Texas, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri are on the list.