Chapter 1: The Basics of Lice

The Basics of Lice

Chapter 1

Do you know how common head lice infestation is? According to the CDC, nearly 12 million cases of head lice are reported each year in the United States. Think about what the actual number of cases might be if they tracked every case. It could be millions more!

What you need to know: Head lice infestation happens, it just does. For some unexplainable reason, they are always present. Head lice typically occur among children, the population most susceptible to infestation. Why children, you ask? Children play closely together without the need for personal space that adults have. Head lice are mostly spread through direct head-to-head contact. Therefore, when children play, it provides the perfect vehicle to transfer lice from one to the other.

It only takes one infested kiddo to cause an outbreak at a school. So, being proactive is the best approach to dealing with head lice. Not only is it important for schools to regularly perform lice checks, they should take place at home too. Checking for lice regularly can be the difference between a couple lice, and a dozen or more. The sooner you catch an infestation, the easier treatment and clean-up will be.