School IPM

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Back-to-school means homework and head lice

Head lice infest 10 million to 12 million people each year in the U.S., making "lousiness" one of the most common communicable conditions in this country. Children transmit lice to one another most often during the early fall back-to-school months, August through November, resulting in widespread infestations by December and January.

People transfer head lice through direct contact or by using the same combs, brushes, hats or bedding. It only takes one adult female louse to begin an infestation. Severe infestations may cause irritation, scratching and the subsequent invasion of secondary infection. Head lice are normally found on children, but they can spread to adults, too. Household pets do not carry head lice.

Biology

Lice move about by clinging to hairs with clawlike legs. Head lice prefer the hair of the head, but they have been known to wander to other parts of the body. They do not live in carpets or school buses. Lice eggs, called "nits," are oval, white cylinders about 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm long, usually found glued to hairs near the scalp. Females' favorite places to glue the eggs are near the ears and back of the head. Female lice can lay six or seven eggs a day, up to a total of 50 to 100 during their lifetime. Adults can survive only a day or two without a blood meal. Individual reactions to louse bites can vary considerably. People not previously exposed to lice usually experience little irritation from their first bite. After a short time, a person may become sensitized, causing a general allergic reaction that includes reddening of the skin, itching and overall inflammation.

Prevention and Management

Encourage children not to share combs, hats and other personal belongings. Daily washing and changing of clothes will help discourage lice, as will keeping hair as short as possible. When children go back to school in the early fall (August through November), inspect for lice weekly. As soon as an infestation is detected, wash all clothes and bedding in hot soapy water and put them in the dryer on high heat to kill lice and eggs. Seal items that can't be washed, such as toys, in plastic bags for seven to 10 days to kill adult lice. Prescription and nonprescription drugs are available to kill nymphs, adults and some eggs. Over-the-counter creams, lotions or shampoos containing permethrin or pyrethrins (pyrethrum extract) as active ingredients should be effective. Shampoos are preferred. Remove any eggs that remain attached to hair shafts as soon as possible with a special fine-toothed comb. Soak combs and other tools in a lice-killing solution such as rubbing alcohol after use. Treating objects such as toys and furniture with lice sprays is not recommended because lice cannot live off the host longer than a couple of days. Use of these products is ineffective and unnecessary.

For more on head lice, please visit the University of Florida's School IPM Web site (http://schoolipm.ifas.ufl.edu).

Edited by: Angela Brammer, University of Florida