Health and First Aid 

Head Lice

Head lice are small, wingless insects that live, breed and feed on the human scalp. They do not generally carry or transmit disease. Head lice have existed for millions of years and, in fact, predate human evolution.

Direct contact is required for transmission from person to person. Lice will crawl from head to head without discrimination.

Head lice facts

A female louse lays three to eight eggs (nits) per day. The eggs are firmly attached to the hair fibres, within 1.5 cm of the scalp, and rely on warmth from the head to hatch. Head lice do not have wings or jumping legs, so they cannot fly or jump from head to head. They can only crawl.

People catch head lice from direct head-to-head contact with another person who has head lice. This can happen when people play, cuddle or work closely together. Head lice are most common among children and their families. 

If your family has head lice, tell anyone who has had head-to-head contact with them, so that they can check and treat their family if needed. There is no need to treat the whole family, unless they also have head lice. 

Concentrate on treating the affected person’s head. There is no evidence to suggest that you need to clean the house or the classroom. The only linen that requires changing is the affected person’s pillowcase. Wash it in hot water (60 ºC) or dry it in a clothes dryer set to warm or hot.

Itchiness may not disappear immediately after treatment. Persistent itch without evidence of persistent infection is not a reason to repeat the treatment. There are other reasons why your scalp might feel itchy.

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/head-lice-nits#bhc-content

Anna Diacos EEN

First Aid Officer

Kalinda Primary School