The University of Netherlands has completed a research program where it monitored twenty five workplaces that had a large proportion of employees that cycled to work. Their findings showed that the prevalence of head lice, or louse, infections among all employees was 28% higher than other employee groups where cycling was not the main method of transport. The researchers, led by Professor Arthur de Boer, were at pains to point out that although head louse infection is an infectious disease many of the problems associated with the infection are due to society's reaction to it rather than the organism itself. Their research does show a loss of productivity due to workers needing to take time off to treat their infestations.

The reasons for a high infection rate have not been pinpointed absolutely but the study believes it is due to the use of helmets and cyclists who wear them promote the nits (the white eggs) to mature faster and produce a much more active louse that will spread, and breed, faster.

A number of the workplaces in the study have introduced lice programs that include preventative hair spray use, compulsory showering and hair washing, helmet neutralisation and isolation and in a few cases restricting the numbers cycling to work on an odds and evens basis by date.

"We think we'll get on top of this problem very soon and with a few changes to our practices things will be back to normal very soon" says office manager Krisoijn who would only reveal her Christian name.

The Dutch department of Health has also made some cautious recommendations for businesses, especially ones where workers are in an open office environment. Be on the lookout for the most common symptom of infestation being intense itching on the back of the head or neck which occurs when the lice bite and suck blood from the scalp. Because lice can be hard to spot, individual hair shafts need to be examined, especially at the nape of the neck and behind the ears. With a good light source, look for tiny, white eggs (nits) glued to the hair near the scalp and for small, quickly crawling, flat insects. An empty egg case can be distinguished from a flake of dandruff because it sticks to the hair, while other particles can be flicked or washed off.

But the human head louse, Pediculus capitis, is not new and infests and estimated 4-6 million people each year in the Netherlands and Pediculosis or "lousiness" is one of the most prevalent communicable conditions in this country. Human head lice are not found on household pets and are not transmitted from pets to humans. Head louse infestations are commonly associated with children, but can also spread to adults and the study group is furthering its research by looking at employee groups who cycle and have young children.

Lus medicinske tidsskrift i Nerthlands