Head Lice Reported at Andover High School

A case of head lice was reported at Andover High School this week, prompting officials to send an e-mail alert to parents Friday morning.

The e-mail urged parents to check their children's heads tonight, and that medicated shampoos are available by prescription if the bugs are found. Children must be nit free before returning to the building. More information is available at www.headlice.org.

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Of Interest: Read the 'Lice Lady' blog series by Courteney Gettel 

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Facts about lice

• Pets can't carry lice.
• Lice can't fly, they can only crawl and cannot jump more than an inch or two at most.
• Lice eggs are called nits and hatch nine days after being laid.
• Lice mature in 10 days and can live about 25 days total.
• Each female louse lays about 80 eggs in her lifetime.
• An adult louse can survive off the host for two days.
• Prepubertal kids get lice pretty easily.
• Adults are much less susceptible.
• Lice do not carry diseases.
• Getting lice is not due to bad hygiene.
• Only items in contact with the hair itself need to be cleaned (no need to vacuum the whole house for example). Hats, hair brushes, hair clips and bedding definitely need to be cleaned, but stuffed friends only need to be quarantined for a few days because lice can't live off a person for longer than that.

Information courtesy of Pediatrician Molly O'Shea, who writes Dr. Molly Unplugged for Patch and has her own practice, Birmingham Pediatrics +Wellness Center in Troy.