Although it is almost one year away, preparations for the Fourth International Congress on Phthiraptera (ICP4) in Turkey are well underway. I have been involved in organizing the last three meetings (ICP2 in Brisbane, Australia 2002, and ICP3 in Buenos Aires, Argentina 2006) but this has to be the most organized we have ever been. This is due to Kosta Mumcuoglu and the local organizing committee who have done such a great job of pulling the meeting together. Here are a few more details:

ICP4, The Fourth International Congress on Phthiraptera
June 13-18, 2010
Conference Hall of Mustafa Hotel, Urgup, Cappadocia, Turkey
Congress Website: http://www.icp4.org/

The 4th International Congress on Phthiraptera will showcase the latest research on Phthiraptera (lice) and louse-borne diseases, in all its aspects of theory, principles, methodology, and practice. Speakers will be invited from accepted abstracts, which will be printed in the proceedings. Abstracts for poster presentations will also be accepted. We invite contributions in any area of louse research  within the following topics:

• Morphology and Physiology of Lice
• Louse Systematics, Population Genetics and Evolution
• Epidemiology of Human Lice
• Ecology and Epidemiology of Animal Lice
• Medical and Veterinary Aspects of Louse Infestations
• Microorganisms Associated with Lice
• Prophylaxis and Control of Lice
• Phthirapterists and Phthirapterology
• Techniques to Study Lice

The conference program includes workshops and round table discussions on:
• Efficacy trials of pediculicides: developments in protocols since ICP3
• The louse comb
• Identification of lice

Please see the ICP4 website (http://www.icp4.org/) for more information on abstract submissions and registration. The submission deadline for abstracts and early registration is December 31, 2009.

For additional information please contact:
Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu, kostam@cc.huji.ac.il (Chair of the ICP4 organizing committees)
Vince Smith, vince@vsmith.info (ICP4 International organizing committee)
Robert Dalgleish, bob.dalgleish@phthiraptera.org (International Society of Phthirapterists)

Kosta has put together a poster advertising the meeting, which I have attached as a PDF.