MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Kyong Sup Yoon, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Biological Sciences and Environmental Sciences Program Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL 62026  Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Dr. John Clark (Professor, University of Massachusetts-Amherst) and I have been studying this matter for 15 years. The goal of our current study is to determine resistance (knockdown resistance or kdr conferred by 3 point mutations in voltage gated sodium channel alpha subunit gene) frequencies in US head louse populations collected from 48 contiguous states. We were able to analyze 109 populations from 30 states and found 100% kdr frequencies in 104 populations.  Hopefully, we can achieve our original goal in near future and publish it. Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report? Response: We need to implement practical resistance management. Now, for the first time since introduction of pyrethroids, we have different compounds already available or will be (hopefully) available in near future. We suggest to use mixture strategies to minimize development of resistance to any new products. (more…)