Saturday, January 9, 2010

Center for Disease Control's Recommendations

Earlier, I wrote of information that I had researched in regards to headlice of which we in Wichita County are fighting. Chris sent me some major information that I want to share with all of you!

Treatment for headlice is recommended for persons who have been diagnosed with an active infestation. ALL household members and other close contacts should be checked; these persons with evidence of an active infestation should be treated. Some experts believe that prophylactic treatment is prudent for persons who share the same bed of actively-infested individuals. All infested persons (household members and close contacts) and their bedmates should be treated at the same time.

Retreatment of headlice usually is recommended because no pediculicide is completely ovicidal. To be most effective, retreatment should occur after all eggs have hatched but before new eggs have been produced. The retreatment can vary depending on the Pediculicide used.

When treatment of headlice begins, other measures should also be taken. For example, hats, scarves, pillow cases, other bedding, clothing and towels used by the infested person in the 2-day period just before treatment is started should be machine washed and dried using HOT water on hot water cycles and hot air cycles because lice and their eggs are killed by exposure to these temperatures for 5 minutes or longer. Items that cannot be laundered may be drycleaned or sealed in a plastic bag for two weeks. Items such as hats, grooming aids and towels that come in contact with the hair of an infested person should NOT be shared. Vacuuming furniture and floors can remove any infested hair that might have viable (live) nits (eggs and young) that have unattached.

Follow ALL hairlice medication instructions completely.

WARNING: Do not use a creme rinse, combination shampoo/conditioner or conditioner before using lice medicine. DO NOT rewash the hair for 1-2 days after the lice medicine is removed.

Since headlice do not survive long after they fall off of a person and cannot feed, there is NO need to spend time or money on extra housecleaning activities. By the way, dirty people are not the only ones who get lice. EVERYONE is easily infested.

To help control a headlice outbreak in a community, school or camp, children should be taught to avoid certain activies that spread head lice. Such things are any hair-to-hair contact during play, sports activities, slumber parties and camp.

Many headlice medications are available over-the-counter at local drug stores. Prescription drugs are also available.

VLE-B

1 comment:

  1. www.fairytaleshaircare.com

    They have an awesome treatment for headlice called Lice Goodbye. Non Toxic, no harmful chemicals and safe for repeated use. I use their products on my children everyday and it has kept them lice free even with repeated breakouts in their classrooms.

    ReplyDelete

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