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Head
Lice
The
Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health offers free head
lice shampoo to children residing in Cerro Gordo County. To ensure
correct diagnosis of head lice, the child in question is required
to be evaluated by one of the immunization clinic staff nurses
at Public Health to identify the presence of head lice.
What
are head lice?
Also called Pediculus humanus capitis (peh-DICK-you-lus HUE-man-us
CAP-ih-TUS), head lice are parasitic insects found on the heads
of people. Having head lice is very common.
What do head lice look like?
There are three forms of lice: the nit, the nymph, and the adult.
- Nit:
Nits are head lice eggs. They are hard to see and are often
confused for dandruff or hair spray droplets. Nits are found
firmly attached to the hair shaft. They are oval and usually
yellow to white. Nits take about 1 week to hatch.
- Nymph:
The nit hatches into a baby louse called a nymph. It looks
like an adult head louse, but is smaller. Nymphs mature into
adults about 7 days after hatching. To live, the nymph must
feed on blood.
- Adult:
The adult louse is about the size of a sesame seed, has six
legs, and is tan to grayish-white. In persons with dark hair,
the adult louse will look darker. Females lay nits; they are
usually larger than males. Adult lice can live up to 30 days
on a person's head. To live, adult lice need to feed on blood.
If the louse falls off a person, it dies within 2 days.
Where
are head lice most commonly found?
On the scalp behind the ears and near the neckline at the back
of the neck. Head lice hold on to hair with hook-like claws found
at the end of each of their six legs. Head lice are rarely found
on the body, eyelashes, or eyebrows.
What are the signs and symptoms of head lice infestation?
- Tickling
feeling of something moving in the hair.
- Itching,
caused by an allergic reaction to the bites.
- Irritability.
- Sores
on the head caused by scratching. These sores can sometimes
become infected.
How
did my child get head lice?
- By contact
with an already infested person. Contact is common during
play at school and at home (slumber parties, sports activities,
at camp, on a playground).
- By wearing
infested clothing, such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms,
or hair ribbons.
- By using
infested combs, brushes, or towels.
- By lying
on a bed, couch, pillow, carpet, or stuffed animal that has
recently been in contact with an infested person.
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