Head Lice 101

AKA the Itchy Gritchies

HELP!! MY STUDENT HAS LICE! Head lice do NOT

jump or fly Head lice do NOT

spread disease Head lice must

feed on human blood to live

Head lice will die within 18 – 24 hours without feeding

OK, I’m itching

already!

SPREAD BY HEAD – TO – HEAD CONTACT!!

Spread of head lice in the classroom is uncommon. Usually they are spread by

“best friends” who have sustained head to head contact.

What a lousy thing to talk about!!

Lice vs. Nits Inseminated

female lice deposit about 6 eggs per day.

Most infested people have less than 12 live lice on their scalp.

May have hundreds of viable, dead and hatched eggs.

So what DO we do?????? Treat only when active

lice or viable eggs are seen.

Manual removal of live lice is key!!

Pediculicide (an agent that kills

lice) is optional. Inspection only of

infested person and family members.

If live lice are found the student’s coat will be separated that day until parents have an opportunity to launder it.

♫Comb, comb on the range♫♪ Oh give me a comb

where the lice do not roam and the nits are all white and are dead!!

♪♫♪♫♪

WARNING!!! “The greatest harm

associated with head lice results from the well-intentioned but misguided use of caustic or toxic substances to eliminate the lice…” Harvard School of Public Health

Believe it or not some parents even try Kerosene!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bottom Line

“Because a child with an active head lice infestation has likely had the infestation for a month or more by the time it is discovered, and because the child poses little risk to others and does not have a resulting health problem, he or she should remain in class, but be discouraged from close direct head contact with others.”

American Academy of Pediatrics

References American Academy of Pediatrics: http://specialchildren.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi

=1/XJ&sdn=specialchildren&zu

=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aap.org%2Fadvocacy%2Farchives%2Fseptlice.htm About:http://specialchildren.about.com/od/specialeducation/i/headlice_2.htm

Lice Advisory Bureau: http://www.headliceadvice.net/teachers/keepschool.html

Harvard School of Public Health: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/headlice.html#children

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/lice/

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools:http://www.healthinschools.org/headlice.asp