Headlice- please help me test a theory

[birdling]

Musings arising from another thread.

I read somewhere a theory that when baby head lice hatch, the first blood group they drink determines the type they have to drink from then on, otherwise they cannot survive.
I am fortunate enough to have never had head lice, either as a child or an adult and since I'm a primary teacher, I've had plenty of chances to catch them.
My blood group is B positive, so whilst not rare, it is slightly less common.

I was just wondering whether other people who have never had them also have slightly less common blood groups?

I realise that some people with these blood groups will have had them, that's inevitable, but it would be interesting to know whether there is any correlation at all.
You don't need to say your blood group, just whether it is a common one or not.

Thanks for any input.

I'm A rhesus D negative and I've had the dreaded lice several times. Weirdly though not as bad as my sisters used to. We were quite badly neglected as kids and they were infested at times where as I used to just get a few. Hitch hikers maybe lol

I have a half-formed hypothesis that it's something genetic - I'm one of six siblings who never caught headlice, H is one of four ditto, and afaik none of the eight next-generation have had them either.

I'm blood group A, which I think is only less common than my mother's group O.

Interesting....
Can anyone else add any info?

Am o. Only had them once & that was as a teenager.

Hmm. I'm B positive and had headlice a fair few times, I also get absolutely feasted on by mosquitoes, I get bitten through my clothes.

DH is boring old O positive and has never had lice, never gets bitten by mozzies.

I'm B too (can't remember if positive or negative) and I have never had lice and get eaten by gnats and mossies

A- here. I had them once, terribly as a child.

A neg, had them loads as a kid.
Had them once as a teacher and from then on my hair has always been tied back.

Also get bitten to death by gnats and mozzies.

AB+ here. The second rarest blood group in the UK. My siblings are half siblings and do not have my blood group. We’ve all had headlice as children.x

I'm B- and have fortunetly never had them. DS1 (B+) had them once and a mild case

DS2 (O+) has never had them. thank fuck we both have long hair

I’m O+ unfortunately had then several times as a child.

I read somewhere a theory that when baby head lice hatch, the first blood group they drink determines the type they have to drink from then on, otherwise they cannot survive.

I don't understand - can you explain this theory?
Headlice live for 30 days.
So even if this idea is correct I don't see why that matters.

I'm B- and never had them. DD is also B- and DS is O- and they've never had them. Feel like I'm tempting fate now

O+. Commonest of all.

Never, ever had them as a child despite being around kids who were alive with them.

The DDs picked them up about five times in total.

Me and my kids are the most common O type and they've never had headlice and are now teenagers. I think I had them once or twice as a kid. Not sure if that helps the theory!

I am A- and never had them, both my kids are A- and regularly get them

I'm interested in the genetic idea.

Never had them as a kid but my sister did. My 2 children have never had them. My DSis 3DCs seem to have them frequently throughout their childhoods. All DCs are late teens/early 20s now.

I’m AB neg; children are A neg and B neg. In spite of all my efforts the girls (not my son who has the same blood group as one of the girls) were ravaged by head lice all through junior school and I caught them from my children once.

Early Years Teacher for 30+ years, 0 neg and have never had head lice. I did do the conditioner and nit comb thing whenever I washed my hair though. I've never heard of the blood group theory.

We're all O positive - the most common type and none of us have ever had head lice (2 adults, 2 dcs).

Never had headlice and nor has my daughter (O and B positive respectively). DH had them as a child (B positive). Daughter and I have very fine silky hair. DH's is much thicker and rougher feeling. That's my theory!

A+ had them a lot as a child.

Interesting!! My daughter is 0neg (as am I) and she’s never had them.

Mosquitoes leave us both alone too!!

@speakout

I read somewhere a theory that when baby head lice hatch, the first blood group they drink determines the type they have to drink from then on, otherwise they cannot survive.

I don't understand - can you explain this theory?
Headlice live for 30 days.
So even if this idea is correct I don't see why that matters.

I think they meant that if the head louse then climbs onto another head, where the person has a different blood group, they then don't survive long enough to lay eggs, as they can't live after drinking the 'wrong blood group.

Thanks for all the replies.
Looks like the theory isn't supported by this evidence.
Perhaps I've just been lucky, or maybe there are other genetic/blood factors at work.