Community Hygiene Concern (CHC)

Community Hygiene Concern

Community Hygiene Concern (CHC) is a not-for-profit charity set up in 1988 to protect people, especially children, and pets, from parasites commonly found in the UK.

We formulate and resource sustainable control and eradication strategies based on sound science. Our work draws together the expertise of all parties with a practical contribution to make to the evidence/experience base.

Originally we addressed pediculosis (infestation with lice) scabies, pesticides for topical use, enterobiasis (threadworm infection) toxocariasis and toxoplasmosis. The life-cycle of both ‘toxos’ involves household pets, dogs and cats in the case of toxocariasis, and cats only for toxoplasmosis.

Our current work centres on development of the Bug Busting solution to head lice and nits. Head lice produce symptoms of minor medical consequence, but cause enormous distress. Anyone with hair can catch head lice, but children are the most vulnerable. Both lice and the vendors of ‘quick fix’ products thrive in a society deskilled in rational thinking about personal parasites.

CHC’s Bug Busting programme converts anxiety into proactive prevention.

The work of CHC was part-funded by the UK Department of Health from 1990 to 2006, with specific funding from 1995 combined with ongoing support for the Bug Busting programme.

The King’s Fund grant-funded our work from 1990 to 1999.

We won one of the first ten Smith Kline Beecham IMPACT awards for excellence in community health in 1998.

The UK National Lottery Charity (Community Fund) supported our Bug Busting Community Involvement project and funded an independent clinical trial of our Bug Buster Kit run by The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Main product from CHC is a top selling Bug Buster Kit to fight with head lice and nits:

Bug Buster® comb is unique in design. The spacing between the teeth is narrow enough to trap the smallest lice but wide enough to pass easily through the hair. There is an exact balance between the slim handle and the deeply bevelled edge of the teeth. This ensures that the teeth slip into the hair roots at the correct angle. They slide naturally under the lice which live mainly near the scalp for food and warmth. Then the sweep of the rectangular shaped teeth to the tips of the tress gently lifts the lice out. They remain motionless in the conditioner, which is wiped off the comb onto paper tissue between stokes. Lice are easy to identify on the paper, which is especially helpful for people who are inexperienced. To make doubly sure that no lice are missed, the combing is repeated in the wet hair after the conditioner is rinsed off. This time they show up clearly against the fluorescent yellow plastic. Wet lice will not escape onto the tresses you have already checked while you complete the combing. Short interruptions during Bug Busting to answer the door bell etc. won’t matter.

The Bug Buster Kit provides the best combs and full information to enable parents to:

Detect lice reliably even when there are only one or two on the head – other combs slide over tiny newly-hatched lice

Clear head lice completely without having to buy any special treatment – the Kit is re-usable with ordinary family shampoo and conditioner

Eliminate unsightly eggshells (nits) comfortably