>>> A HEALTH ALERT NOW, EARLIER
THIS MONTH DUVAL COUNTY SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATORS DEALT WITH AN
INCIDENT OF GETTING A STUDENT,
GETTING HEAD LICE ON MULTIPLE
TIMES WITH ONE STUDENT HAVING
THAT PROBLEM.
SOME PARENTS ARE NOW ASKING HOW
THEY CAN MAKE SURE THEIR
CHILDREN CAN AVOID GETTING LICE.
JOINING ME TO DISCUSS THIS NOW
IS DOCTOR WITH THE MAYO CLINIC.
THANK YOU FOR COMING ON.
THIS IS AN ISSUE FOR PARENTS
BECAUSE IT IS SO HARD TO GET RID
OF THE LICE.
I WANT TO SHOW YOU UP ON THE
SCREEN QUICKLY.
6ING TO 12 MILLION INFESTATIONS
A YEAR, DOCTOR.
I'M SURPRISED WAY IN.
>> THAT IS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
IT IS VERY COMMON.
HEAD LICE IS A INSECT, VERY TINY
ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SESAME SEED.
VERY COMMON.
VERY CONTAGIOUS.
THE ONLY WAY IT IS REALLY SPREAD
IS BY HEAD-TO-HEAD CONTACT.
WE DO RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE NOT
SHARE THINGS LIKE HATS AND
HELMETS AND COMBS AND BARRETTES,
BECAUSE THEY DO LIVE LICE CAN
LIVE UP TO TWO DAYS ON THOSE
ITEMS.
GENERALLY HEAD-TO-HEAD CONTACT.
>>> THERE ARE STEREOTYPES ABOUT
LICE, A LOT OF THEM.
ONE STEREO-TYPE HAS NOTHING TO
DO WITH A DIRTY HEAD.
>>> RIGHT, EXACTLY.
THE MYTH IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE
POOR HYGIENE OR THEIR HAIR IS
DIRTY, BUT ACTUALLY HEAD LICE
PREFER CLEAN HAIR.
CONTAGIOUS INFECTTION, NOTHING
TO DO WITH HYGIENE.
>>> I WANT TO SHOW PICTURES IF
YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE SCREEN TO
TALK ABOUT LICE VERSUS IT INS.
GETS -- NITS.
GETTING IT OUT OF THE HAIR IS A
NIGHTMARE FOR INSURANCE PARENTS.
THEY'RE VERY SMALL, YOU HAVE TO
DO ALL THIS WASHING.
I KNOW PARENTS ARE REALLY
CONCERNED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE YOU
WASHING.
TELL MANY ABOUT THAT.
>>> THE WASHING DOESN'T WORK
THAT WELL SO THE NITS OR THE
EGGS ARE VERY STICKY, THEY'RE
VERIED A HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED,
THEY TEN TO -- ADD HER
EPRESIDENT, IF THERE ARE MORE
THAN A THUMB-NAIL SIZE AWAY FROM
THE SCALP THEY ARE DEAD CASINGS.
BUT IF THEY'RE VERY CLOSE TO THE
SCALP, AGAIN, THEY'RE EGGS AND
THEY CAN HATCH.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY LEAVE THEM BUT
CAN REMOVE THEM.
YOU HAVE TO GET THESE COMBS THAT
ARE FINE FINE FINE TUNED.
>> YOU WORRY ABOUT THEM BRINGING
SOMETHING HOME.
THE SCHOOLS, EVERY SCHOOL IS
DIFFERENT NO NITS IN T HAIR
UNSOME NITS ARE OKAY.
WHERE SHOULD WE BE ON THIS WHOLE
NIT THING, THOSE ARE THE THINGS
THAT ARE STILL THERE AFTER YOU
GET RID OF THE LICE.
>>> IN GENERAL WHAT WE WORRY
ABOUT IS THE LIVE HEAD LICE.
MOST OF THE BIG GROUPS LIKE
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIAT
FRICKS -- PEDIATRICS THEY
RECOMMEND LONG THERE ARE NO LIVE
HEAD LICE THEN KIDS ARE SAFE.
IT IS VERY UNUSUAL TO HAVE JUST
NITS WITHOUT LIVE HEAD LICE TO
BE CONTAGIOUS.
AND SO WHAT IS HAPPEN,
UNFORTUNATELY IS A LOT OF KIDS
ARE BEING SENT HOME BECAUSE
THERE ARE JUSTS NITS NOT LIVE
HEAD LICE AND IT IS VERY RARE
THOSE ARE GOING TO HATCH AND
SPREAD TO OTHER KIDS.
AND WHAT IS HAPPENING IS,
UNNECESSARILY PEOPLE ARE BEING
AGAIN.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THEN IS
WHERE WE GET THE SUPER LICE OR
THE RESISTANT LICE.
IF YOUR CHILD DOES HAVE A HEAD
LICE AND YOU TREAT USING A
TOPICAL AGENT, WHICH IS WHAT I
RECOMMEND, THERE ARE
OVER-THE-COUNTER TOPICAL AGENT,
VERY PONT TO USE IT EXACTLY AS
IT SAYS ON THE DIRECTIONS
BECAUSE A LOT OF TIME, PEOPLE
THINK USING IT ONCE, USING IT
TWICE IS BETTER I CAN REALLY GET
RID OF THE HEAD LICE,
UNFORTUNATELY WHAT HAPPENS IS IF
YOU HAVE HAD LICE AFTER SAY 48
HOURS, JUST AS MANY HEAD LICE
BEFORE YOU TREATED, YOU PROBABLY
HAVE A RESISTANT FORM.
AND USING THAT AGENT AGAIN AND
AGAIN THAT WILL GET RID OF THE
NITS, IF YOU HAVE LIVE LICE THAT
ARE JUST AS COMMON AS BEFORE,
YOU PROBABLY NEED TO GO TO THE
DOCTOR AND GET ANOTHER AGENT.
AND THERE ARE SOME PRESCRIPTION
LICE.
>> THANK YOU FOR COMING ON, WE
WE'LL POST MORE OF THE