Head Lice Information

Dear Parents / Guardians / Students:

The nursing staff, would like to bring awareness to all of our students and parents concerning the possibility of spreading Head Lice.

For more information about head lice go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

For more information about head lice procedure in Carrollton School district refer to:

Board Policy JHC-AP (2) STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES AND REQUIREMENTS - (Head Lice)

Below are some questions with a brief answer.

Head Lice, what is it? Head lice are parasitic insects that can be found on the human scalp, behind the ears, near the neckline, eyebrows, and eyelashes. They live close to the scalp and feed on human blood daily. They move by crawling, not jumping or flying. Head lice are not known to transmit any disease.

There are three stages of Life for Head Lice:

Nits - lice eggs, found at the ¼ inch from the base of the hair shaft close to the scalp. Takes 8-9 days to hatch. Usually dies within a week if away from the scalp of the human host.

Nymph - an immature louse that hatches from the nit. Takes 9-10 days to become an adult. Can only live several hours without feeding on a human host.

Adult Louse - size of a sesame seed, has six legs, and is tan to grayish-white in color. Can lay about 6 nits per day. Can live about 30 days on a person's head but can die within one or two days if it falls off human host.

How do head lice spread? Lice are spread by close person to person contact “head to head” with the hair of someone who already has head lice.

Common head to head contact transmission of head lice can be during sports activities, sleep overs with friends and family, activities at school, church and other events.

Symptoms of infestation: Itchy scalp, feeling of something crawling in the hair, scabs or sores on the head, waking up at night with itchy scalp.

If you feel that your child may be infested please don’t hesitate to contact your school nurse or medical provider for treatment information. Any requests for lice screenings or information will be kept strictly confidential.

Sincerely,

Marilyn Miller, RN – (660-542-3472)

Jennifer Davis, LPN – (660-542-2535)