BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — According to a new study from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, a new and potentially drug-resistant species of lice is showing up on the heads of children in at least 25 states, including Tennessee.

Ninety-five percent of lice populations collected from 30 states tested positive for a mutation that’s resistant to over-the-counter treatments.

These mutations are reportedly caused by widespread use of insecticides used to kill everything from mosquitoes to bed bugs.

So, if you’re a parent, what can you do to protect your kids?

Health officials recommend inspecting your child’s head and physically picking the lice out if you see them.

Also, fight the instinct to over-treat or give preventative treatments because that actually contributes to the problem.

Debbie Busdiecker with the Ohio Board of Health said, “It’s important not to treat the whole family, because if other people don’t have it, then you treat them, they could become resistant to that shampoo.”

If the lice won’t die or are not responding to over-the-counter shampoo, a doctor can prescribe a shampoo with stronger chemicals.

Found at WKRN