MESSAGE FROM DR. CHIVALETTE
January 7, 2017
Dear Parents and/or Guardians:
We were just notified that one of our parents discovered lice on their child right after Christmas. The child has being treated aggressively for lice and/or nits (eggs). We will continue to follow-up with the parent and child.
Head lice have become more and more of a problem over the last few years. The number of children infested with head lice is increasing all across the country. Control of head lice depends on prompt diagnosis and effective treatment. Your help in inspecting your child at least weekly throughout the school year for the presence of head lice would be greatly appreciated.
We suggest the following procedure for inspecting your child for head lice:
1. Under bright light begin looking at the back of the head just above the neck area.
2. Part the hair section by section and look closely for head lice or nits (eggs). Eggs will usually be located near the scalp.
3. Depending on the length and thickness of the hair, it should take between 5 and 15 minutes to properly inspect a child's head.
If you suspect your child is infested with head lice, please notify the school office. In addition, the entire family should be inspected for head lice as well. Children and teachers will be checked periodically in a very discreet manner.
Turn the page over for some simple guidelines. For further information on how to treat your child's head lice infestation consult your family physician, or a local pharmacist for recommendations and at www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Pages/HeadLice.aspx
Please remind your children that items such as hats, scarves, grooming aids, towels, blankets, coats and jackets should not be shared.
I thank you in advance for your cooperation.
In His Service,
Dr. Michael H. Chivalette
Superintendent
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CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
General Guidelines (Only)
Treatment for head lice is recommended for persons diagnosed with an active infestation. All household members and other close contacts should be checked; those persons with evidence of an active infestation should be treated. All infested persons (household members and close contacts) and their bedmates should be treated at the same time. Please contact your physician's office
Some pediculicides (medicines that kill lice) have an ovicidal (a substance of preparation, capable of killing eggs). For pediculicides that are only weakly ovicidal or not ovicidal, routine retreatment is recommended. For those that are more strongly ovicidal, retreatment is recommended only if live (crawling) lice are still present several days after treatment. To be most effective, retreatment should occur after all eggs have hatched but before new eggs are produced.
When treating head lice, supplemental measures can be combined with recommended medicine (pharmacologic treatment). For example, hats, scarves, pillow cases, bedding, clothing, and towels worn or used by the infested person in the 2-day period just before treatment is started can be machine washed and dried using the hot water and hot air cycles because lice and eggs are killed by exposure for 5 minutes to temperatures greater than 53.5°C (128.3°F). Items that cannot be laundered may be dry-cleaned or sealed in a plastic bag for two weeks. Items such as hats, grooming aids, and towels that come in contact with the hair of an infested person should not be shared. Vacuuming furniture and floors can remove an infested person's hairs that might have viable nits attached.
Treat the infested person(s): Requires using an Over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription medication. Contact your health care provider for more information and instructions.
Follow these treatment steps:
Do not re–wash the hair for 1–2 days after the lice medicine is removed.
Have the infested person put on clean clothing after treatment.
- Nit (head lice egg) combs, often found in lice medicine packages, should be used to comb nits and lice from the hair shaft. Many flea combs made for cats and dogs are also effective.
- After each treatment, checking the hair and combing with a nit comb to remove nits and lice every 2–3 days may decrease the chance of self–reinfestation. Continue to check for 2–3 weeks to be sure all lice and nits are gone.
- Possible/May be necessary. Retreatment is meant to kill any surviving hatched lice before they produce new eggs. For some drugs, retreatment is recommended routinely about a week after the first treatment (7–9 days, depending on the drug) and for others only if crawling lice are seen during this period.
Supplemental Measures: Head lice do not survive long if they fall off a person and cannot feed. Follow these steps to help avoid re–infestation by lice that have recently fallen off the hair or crawled onto clothing or furniture.
1. Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that the infested person wore or used during the 2 days before treatment using the hot water (130°F) laundry cycle and the high heat drying cycle. Clothing and items that are not washable can be dry–cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks.
2. Soak combs and brushes in hot water (at least 130°F) for 5–10 minutes.
3. Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay. However, the risk of getting infested by a louse that has fallen onto a rug or carpet or furniture is very small. Head lice survive less than 1–2 days if they fall off a person and cannot feed; nits cannot hatch and usually die within a week if they are not kept at the same temperature as that found close to the human scalp. Spending much time and money on housecleaning activities is not necessary to avoid reinfestation by lice or nits that may have fallen off the head or crawled onto furniture or clothing.
4. Do not use fumigant sprays; they can be toxic if inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
Prevent Reinfestation: If crawling lice are still seen after a full course of treatment, contact your health care provider.
