Head Lice

The school nurse has 4 goals

• Prevent / contain the spread of lice in the school setting

• Educate parents to prevent, recognize and treat head lice

• Minimize school absence• Prevent children from over exposure

to potentially hazardous chemicals

What are Head Lice?

• Insects that live and reproduce on your head

• Head lice feed on blood from your scalp

• Head Lice are a common nuisance, and are not considered a health hazard

Who can get Head Lice?

• Anyone who has close head-to-head contact with someone who has head lice

• More common among preschool and elementary school-aged children and their families

• Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice

• Head lice cannot live on pets or animals, only on humans.

Contracting Head Lice

• Head lice crawl quickly from head to head when in close contact

• Cannot fly, jump, or hop• Head lice can be transferred

when personal objects are shared– - e.g. combs, brushes, hats

Recognizing Head Lice• Tickling feeling on scalp • Itchy scalp• Feeling of something moving in the hair• Irritability• Sores on head from scratching• Presence of nymphs, and/or adult head

lice confirm infestation

FACTSOnly live bugs can

transmit head lice. Nits cannot pass on to another person Treatment is

recommended only forindividuals found withlive lice or viable eggs� Nits further than 1cmfrom the scalp areprobably hatched andno longer viable

The Center forDisease Controlpublished a study inMay of 2001 whichshowed that only 9 of50 children with nitsalone (18%) convertedto lice infestation

What do they look like?

• Adult head lice–Tiny wingless brown insects; size of a

sesame seed–Live for about 20-25days – If a louse crawls off of a head, it dies

within 2 days

Figure C: Live unhatched head louse egg attached to a hair shaft

Source: Sally Speare and Rick Speare©, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, 1998.

What do they look like?• Nymphs

– Are baby head lice– Smaller than adult head lice– Mature in about 1 week

• Nits (eggs)– Tiny specks; about the size of a knot in thread – Firmly attached to the hair close to the scalp – Nits are usually found on the hair behind the ears, at the

back of the neck, and above the forehead.– Do not mistake for dandruff, which can be easily blown

off.

• Prevention: Inspect frequently. • Treatment: May include use of lice

shampoo.• Treatment of Belongings: Wash bedding

and clothing in hot soapy water. Dry using “high heat” cycle. Bag other items and put outside .

• Post-treatment Inspection: Inspect individuals up to 10 days following treatment and at 4-6 Weeks

4 Steps to Lice Eradication

• Head lice are spread by infested people.– Pets cannot get or spread head lice.– Nits cannot spread head lice.

• Children should not share combs, hats and personal belongings.

• Frequent inspections are a must.– Search entire head, especially back of

head and neck. Inspect hair section by section.

• Pay attention to your child’s hygiene

Prevention of Head Lice

Treating Head Lice

• Consult the pharmacist for a recommended treatment product.

• Only treat when live head lice are present –head lice products do not prevent head lice.

• Follow product instructions carefully to avoid re-infestation.

• The products kill the head lice and many eggs, but for most products a second treatment is needed 7 to 10 days after the first treatment to kill any newly-hatched lice before they mature.

Treating Head Lice

1. Follow manufacturer’s instructions exactly- Some products require you to shampoo and damp-dry the hair with a towel or blow dryer. - Some products are applied directly to dry hair.

2. Wear plastic or rubber gloves to avoid unnecessary exposure to treatment product. - wrap a towel tightly over the child’s eyes to protect them.

3. Keep your product label!!!!!!!

Treating Head Lice

• Talk to your family doctor:– If a child is under the age of 2– If you are pregnant or breastfeeding – If a person has a seizure disorder– If a person has broken or infected skin– If lice are on eyebrows, eyelashes or facial

hair– If you see live lice 24 – 48 hours after using

a lice killing shampoo.

General Information on Head Lice Products• Follow the directions• Timing is important• Do not mix products• Rinse child’s hair under tap• Products should not be used near the

eyes, nose, or mouth• Wear plastic or rubber gloves• Wash your hands after using product• Store products away from children• Do not apply to open or infected skin

Treating Head Lice

• All nits should be removed after treating with product– Head lice products are not 100 % effective in

devitalizing eggs– Removing nits:

• will reduce hatching of eggs that were not killed with treatment

• will allow you to notice if a new infestation occurs

Treating Head Lice

• To remove nits:– Part and lift hair to check for nits or lice– Work under a good light (window or lamp)

• Live lice can be removed with scotch tape wrapped around your finger

Treating Head Lice

• To remove nits– Use fine-tooth nit comb or

thumbnail/first finger to grab the nit and slide it off the hair shaft

– Place nits in a plastic bag, seal and put in garbage

• Take frequent breaks, especially with young children.

• Check and remove nits daily for 2-3 weeks.

• Check heads thoroughly at 4 and 6 weeks

Treating Head Lice

• Avoid home remedies – no scientific proof of effectiveness

• Do not use flea control products, turpentine, paint thinner, etc.

• If your child has head lice, tell the school/child care facility and child’s close contacts immediately to prevent further spread

Housecleaning

• Wash in hot, soapy water:– Headwear, combs, brushes, pillowcases, towels,

bedsheets– Items that cannot be washed should be stored in a

sealed plastic bag for 2 weeks• Excessive housecleaning is unnecessary, but

vacuum surfaces where heads have rested – Sofas, car seats, helmets

• NEVER use insecticide sprays

Controlling the spread of Head Lice

• Discourage head-to-head contact and sharing of hats, scarves, brushes, combs and headwear

• Check heads of all people in close contact• Treat all family members with head lice at the

same time• Check young school-aged children weekly for

head lice; more often if there is an outbreak• If head lice continue to return, call your doctor

• Lice live their entire life cycle on the human body.

• Lice die within 24 hours after falling off the host.

• Treatment of classrooms with insecticidal sprays is unnecessary and may be hazardous.

Do Not Treat Classrooms

Reinfestion

• Use of ineffective product

• Did not follow directions

• Failed to treat the environment

• Did not take precautions to preventCheck Check Check

Head lice CAN be managed if we all work together to detect

and treat these pests!!REMEMBER:

Check weekly

treat quickly

tell the school