Question:
My daughter just moved into her new town house last weekend. New paint,
carpets cleaned, etc. Today her roommate, a 5th. grade teacher, calls
and says she has head lice. She just called me for help and I vaguely
remember things that other people had told me, but I never really paid
any attention. Specifically, can she go to work or class? I remember
kids being told to stay home from school, but she is 24 and that is
somewhat different, dontcha think? They are now washing their bedding,
both of which they got brand new for their move into this place. What
else should they do? Tia for *any* help you can give me.
Answer:
Head lice is very contagious and need to suck blood to live and
reproduce. An infected person can use an insecticidal shampoo which
will kill the crawlers in one treatment, but the eggs may survive
and hatch in a few days so a repeat treatment may be required in
7-10 days. Basically, your daughter and her roommate should
carefully inspect the hair/scalp after applying hair conditioner and
using a nit (lice) comb. Inspect once a week for a month. She
should be able to attend class. Bedding washed in hot water and
bleach should be enough. Or, you can store blankets in a zip-lock
bag for a month. Her roommate can easily get reinfected if she is
around others who have not had any treatment. An old-time remedy
for head/body lice is kerosene (coal oil), but the over-the-counter
products are much more pleasant and effective to use.
