Head lice!

Please check your children from time to time.

Head lice are tiny insects that live on the human scalp. They are wingless insects that have claws on each of their six legs that enable them to cling to human hair shifts. An initial infestation usually consists of less than 12 adult head lice.

Head lice exist on blood feedings that they obtain from the head of a human host. If separated from the environment and sustenance of a human host, a louse will starve to death and die within 1 – 3 days. Head lice do not inhabit a physical environment and/or subsist off anything other than human blood.

Head lice are transmitted from one human to another by some form of direct or indirect head-to-head contact. Common forms of transmission among children are head-to-head contact or sharing personal items such as combs, hairbrushes, hats, coats, hair clips, ribbons, scarves or other head coverings. The type of lice that infest human’s head DO NOT infest other animals nor vice versa.

In an active case of head lice, nymphal or adult lice (1-2 mm long) are present. Grayish white oval nits are found firmly attached to the hair shaft near the scalp. (Nits may appear as dandruff flake but cannot be flicked off such as dandruff can) The nits are glued to the hair shaft with cement that the female louse secretes. Nymphal and adult head lice can be difficult to detect visually because they tend to crawl towards a darker region when exposed to light and head lice are capable of crawling rapidly along human hair shafts. For this reason, an active head lice infestation is best confirmed by the presence of eggs less than ¼ in. from the scalp rather than the presence of actual head lice.

If you find your child does have lice or eggs, there are several products over the counter that you may purchase. Just follow the instructions on box or bottle. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions.

If any questions please feel free to call your school nurse.
Elementary:
Katherine Smith RN 903-482-8826
Middle:
Gayla Wood RN 903-482-8878
High School:
Cynthia Tillett RN 903-482-8862