Head lice fact sheet pdf hmong pdf karen pdf somali pdf spanish pdf what are head lice. Pediculosis head lice infestation disease fact sheet. Head lice fact sheet seneca valley school district. This patient information fact sheet provides information on the definition, causes, symptoms, detection and treatments for head lice infestation. Contact is common during play at school and at home. Again, thanks for your and your childs participation in nitbusters. At least one moving head louse singular for lice must be found on the head. Head lice are tiny insects that live and breed on your head. If you have any questions, please contact us or visit one of the many useful websites. When a case of head lice is suspected, parents should be advised at the end of the day to check their children for lice and treat them if an infestation is found.
Head lice are tiny wingless insects that live on the scalp. An infestation with head lice does not mean someone is dirty. Here are some videos and easily downloadable and printable resources related to head lice and bestpractice related to head lice and head lice removal. Head lice cannot fly, jump or swim, but they can sometimes swing from one hair to another. May 31, 20 this patient information fact sheet provides information on the definition, causes, symptoms, detection and treatments for head lice infestation. Dshs does, however, urge school districts to ensure that its policy does not cause children to miss class unnecessarily or encourage the embarrassment and isolation of students who suffer from repeated head lice infestations. We also explain the signs and symptoms of head lice such as an itchy scalp and provide up to date information on the best head lice treatments and prevention advice below. The npa offers 12 important tips to help parents avoid misleading information on head lice. Lice are wingless insects that are hostadapted to humans and do not live on household pets or in the.
Lice are tiny parasitic insects that can be found on peoples heads and bodies. Head lice products kill the head lice and many eggs, but one treatment may not ki ll all the eggs. Lice lessons national association of school nurses. Head lice are reddishbrown insects about the size of a sesame seed. They are not dangerous, dont carry diseases and are not a sign of poor hygiene. The head louse is a small, grayishwhite insect about 116 to 18 of an inch in length that lives. Head lice do not live longer than 48 hours off the head. If your child is in school or attends child care you will probably receive a note at some point reporting a case of head lice in your childs classroom. Dealing with lice is difficult, sometimes embarrassing and can be overwhelming to anyone caring for children. Head lice reproduce by laying their eggs nits on the hair shaft close to the scalp. Head lice frequently asked questions what are head lice. Head lice, pediculus humanus capitis, can be found on the head, eyebrows, and eyelashes of people. Head lice can be an annoyance because their presence may cause itching and loss of sleep. Itching is the first sign of head lice, unless your child has a very light case.
Head lice are small most active in the darkthe size of a sesame seed, usually tan to grayishwhite colored insects that live and reproduce in the hair on human heads. The following fact sheets provided in english and spanish are free and can be downloaded and printed off in black and white or color to be distributed to parents, caregivers, and school staff to help educate and inform about head lice. And, if a child has head lice, it certainly doesnt mean they have bad parents. Managing head lice pediculosis in school settings and at. Head lice are spread by headtohead contact with another person who has head lice, e. Head lice are most common among primary school aged children and are spread by direct contact with the hair of the infested individual. At home, sharing items such as combs, brushes, towels, soft toys and bed sheets can also spread lice. Here is information from the american academy of pediatrics to help parents and caregivers check for, treat, and prevent the spread of head lice. Head lice are parasitic insects that can be found on the head, eyebrows, and eyelashes. Head lice are spread by head to head contact with another person who has head lice. The lice feed on human blood that can cause severe local itching. Head lice are tiny, wingless, move quickly, and are hard to see. A quick, easytoread fact sheet to help dispel myths and. Pediculosis is an infestation of head lice on the hair of the head.
No product can prevent head lice, but regular checks can help prevent the spread. Both overthecounter and prescription medications are available for treatment of head lice infestations. They can only survive in human hair, need to feed from the scalp several times a day and can only survive up to two days off the persons head. Head lice are a common problem and concern among many parents. These pages may be reproduced and given to parents or others trying to get rid of head lice.
Head lice should not be considered as a medical or public health hazard. Fact sheet about head lice, head lice treatment, malathion and pediculosis. Adult lice head lice are spread mainly through direct headtohead contact. Head lice should not be confused with body lice or crab lice. A parents guide to head lice easy steps to control head lice. According to the public health and wellbeing regulations 2009, children with untreated head lice are not permitted to attend school or childrens service centres. Head lice are spread mainly through direct head to head contact. They live and lay their eggs nits on hair close to the scalp.
Infestation is defined as harboring any nits, nymphs, or adult head lice. A public health emergency has been declared in the act for the response to the covid19 pandemic. They are found only on humans and not on dogs, cats, or other pets. Head lice fact sheet eng utah department of health. Pediculus humanus capitis, the head louse, is an insect whose only hosts are humans. While children are at school many families will have contact with head lice. They are more common in children as their heads often touch when they play together. The head louse is an insect that can infest people. Pediculosis head lice infestation disease fact sheet wisconsin. Children with head lice infestations can go to school. Head lice are small insects that live on the scalp, cause itching and spread by head to head contact.
They do not spread disease and anyone can get them. Nits are lice eggs laid by the adult female head louse at the base of the hair shaft nearest the scalp. Head lice frequently asked questions pdf view, download and print the head lice faq. Dogs, cats, and other pets do not play a role in the transmission of human lice. The infestation of them is also called pediculosis capitis. Massachusetts public health fact sheet head lice pediculosis. Finding eggs or nits does not mean that a person has active head lice. A plastic head lice comb is often provided when you buy a head lice insecticide product in the packet with the shampoo or lotion. Sep 24, 20 fact sheet about head lice, head lice treatment, malathion and pediculosis. Anyone can get head lice, but in the united states, head lice are most common in children 312 years of age.
Head lice are spread by head to head contact with another person who has head lice, e. Head lice are tiny insects that live only on peoples scalps and hair. These pages may be reproduced and given to parents or others trying to. Head lice fact sheet minnesota department of health. Head lice feed on human blood and do not survive very. This kind of contact includes doing group work at school, playing, or hugging. Nits are lice eggs laid at the base of hair shaft nearest. They feed on human blood several times a day and live close to the scalp. Check your childs head and scalp all over and especially behind the ears.
Head lice infest the head and neck and attach their eggs to the base of the hair shaft. These tiny insects about 18 long make their home in human hair and feed on blood. Excessive scratching of the head is the most common symptom of head lice infestation. Head lice information, nsw department of education head lice fact sheet, department of medical entomology, westmead hospital, nsw. The information contained here is aimed at schools, childcare centres, hairdressers and local government organisations to help treat and control head lice. At the end of this manual is a page discussing myths and facts, a fact sheet entitled head lice pediculosis capitis and a quick guide. Head lice live on blood they draw from the scalp and lay tiny, graywhite eggs known as nits on a hair shaft near the scalp. Head lice can be treated at home, but its important to check with the doctor first. The head louse is a small, grayishwhite insect about 116 to 18 of an inch in length that lives in hair and on the scalp. Head lice infestation, or pediculosis, is spread most commonly by close persontoperson contact. Head lice are usually spread by close personal contact with the hair of an infested person.
They may also be spread by sharing items such as combs and hats but this is less common. Head lice fact sheet texas department of state health. At the end of this manual is a page discussing myths and facts, a fact sheet entitled head lice pediculo sis capitis and a quick guide. They are usually found very close to the scalp, at the bottom of the neck and behind the ear. To look for nits, part hair in small sections, moving from one side of the head to the other. Head lice fact sheet pdf view, download and print the head lice fact sheet. They may also be spread through objects like scarves, brushes, head phones, hats and. Head lice are small, wingless insects that live in the hair on your head and can be challenging to eradicate. The warmth from the scalp is needed for the eggs to hatch. Pediculosis head lice infestation disease fact sheet series what is pediculosis head lice. Head lice multiply rapidly, laying small greyishcolored, ovalshaped eggs called nits which they glue to the base of the hair, close to the scalp. Keywords hair lice, hair nits, head nits, itchy head, itchy scalp, louse, nits in hair, nits treatment, treating head lice, reating nits, treatment nits, head lice,combs head lice, head lice treatment, head lice prevention,facts head lice, head lice eggs,nits head.
Anyone may become infested with head lice, regardless of age, sex, race, or standards of personal. They can live for up to 30 days on a persons head and need to feed on blood to survive. Sharing personal items such as hats, headbands, coats, or storing these items close together such as in classrooms can spread lice. Head lice or pediculus humanus capitis are parasitic insects found on the heads of people. How to find head lice, the life cycle of head lice and treating head lice.
Lice glue their eggs also known as nits to hair so they cannot be brushed or shaken off easily. Head lice have claws that cling to hair shafts and they spend their entire life cycle on the heads of people sucking blood for nutrition. Head lice are a problem in many communities and do not reflect poor hygiene or social status. They are hard to see and are often confused for dandruff or hair. Fact sheets revised 07202015 disease outbreak control division head lice ukus what are head lice. Clean hair offers no protection against getting lice. Head lice multiply rapidly, laying small greyishcolored, ovalshaped eggs called nits. Nits which are more than 14 inch from the scalp are dead or empty and will not hatch. By close head to head contact with someone who already has head lice. Please do your part to prevent the spread of this communicable condition by checking your children daily for the next few weeks, and on a regular basis. Head lice are rarely transferred through clothing, hats, furniture or bedding. Head lice are small insects that live in peoples hair and feed on their blood. What is pediculosis head lice pediculosis is an infestation of head lice on the hair of the head.
Head lice are small tan to grayishwhite insects, about the size of a sesame seed and have six legs. Head lice new hampshire department of health and human. Taking baths wont kill lice or keep children from getting lice. Sometimes the itching can lead to excessive scratching that can sometimes increase the chance of a secondary skin infection. Apply the product following instructions ca refully. Anyone who comes in close contact especially head to head contact with someone who already has head lice is at risk. Head lice fact sheet head lice o head lice are tiny, flat insects that live and breed on the scalp where they lay their eggs o head lice bite the scalp and feed on blood several times a day o head lice do not spread disease but they are a nuisance o anyone can get head lice and it is not your fault if you do. When heads are close together lice crawl very quickly from one head to another. Head lice fact sheet nitwits 10 top facts about nits and lice. Lice can live up to 30 days on a persons head and lay from 50150 eggs. Check your childs head in bright or natural light on a regular basis, and most importantly, if you receive a letter from your childs class informing you of a case of head lice in the classroom. Though not dangerous, head lice are a common problem for children between the ages of 3 and. An uptodate fact sheet reflecting the most current research on preventing, controlling and treating head lice.
Change the sheets when a different person will be using them. Head lice are common among schoolaged children about 6 to 12 million infestations occur each year in the us. They are very small about 116 to 18 of an inch long, gray or white in color and have no wings. The nits eggs, larvae, and adult lice can be seen easily and are often. Head lice can run from one head to another in seconds. Head lice are not a medical or public health hazard. Head lice feed on human blood several times a day and live close to the human scalp. Head lice infestations occur in all socioeconomic groups, are not an indication of poor. Head lice are small insects that live on the scalp, cause itching and spread byhead to head contact. Head lice fact sheet overview the head louse, or pediculus humanus capitis, is a parasitic insect that can be found on the head, eyebrows and eyelashes of people. Skip directly to site content skip directly to page options skip directly to az link centers for disease control and prevention.
Head lice usually lay their eggs on strands of hair about 4 mm or. New hampshire department of health and human services division of public health services head 29 hazen drive concord, nh 03301 6032714496. Head lice are more common in children between the ages of 3 10 as their heads often touch when they play together. Head lice also known as head louse are small insects that live in peoples hair and feed on their blood. Head lice are tiny bugs about the size of a sesame seed 23 mm long mm stands for millimeter. The head louse is a parasitic insect that can be found on the head, eyebrows, and eyelashes of people. Head lice may be spread by sharing towels or other items that have been in contact with an infested persons hair, although such spread is. In this head lice fact sheet, we explain what head lice are, where they come from and what causes them. The word louse is used to refer to a single one head lice parasite.
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