Head lice are small insects that live on human heads and feed on human blood. They are spread through direct head-to-head contact with an infected person. Common signs of head lice include itching and difficulty sleeping. While head lice are not dangerous, they can be difficult to treat and costly to address. This document provides information about head lice facts, symptoms, treatment, and prevention to help educate others.

1. Health Issue: Head Lice
Maya Jones
University of California, Riverside
Extension
HEALTH ISSUE:
HEAD LICE
(PLEASE CLICK ON SLIDE SHOW OR
FORMAT TO HEAR SELF-CREATED
AUDIO INFORMATION WHEN
VIEWING PRESENTATION)

2. View a detailed introduction of head lice at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlj2FrOqeHE
HEAD LICE ARE TREATABLE.

3. HEAD LICE
FACTS

4. Louse or Pediculus humanus capitis are
other names for head lice.
Head lice are insects. These insects
require human blood to survive.
Head lice are not typically carriers of
diseases.
(C.D.C., 2013a)
WHAT ARE HEAD LICE?

5. Head lice only crawl; head lice do not hop or fly.
•A person infected with head lice transmits the insects to
others.
•Direct head – to-head contact with an infected person is
the greatest way for a person to become infected with head
lice.
•Uncommon modes of transmission are via personal items,
such as scarves, that are used by an infected person.
•(C.D.C, 2013a)
HOW ARE HEAD LICE SPREAD?

6. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
•Tickling sensation in the hair.
•Itching
•Irritable
•Difficulty in falling to asleep
•A result of scratching is head
sores.
(C.D.C, 2013a)
WHAT ARE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
OF HEAD LICE?

7. HEAD LICE
STATISTICS

8. Head Lice Infestation in the United
States
•Children between the ages of 3 to 12
are at risk to becoming infected with
head lice.
(C.D.C., 2013a; Frankowski, &
Bocchini, 2010)
•Estimated number of children who
become infected is the following: 6
million to 12 million.
(C.D.C., 2013a)
WHO ARE AT RISK FOR HEAD
LICE INFESTATION COMMONLY?

9. Head Lice infestation in the world
•Head lice infestation is a common
human experience.
•Head lice infestation is distributed
worldwide.
• A current world wide prevalence rate
is 61%.
(Bonilla, Durdenz, Eremeeva, &
Dashe, 2013; Falagas, Mathaiou,
Rafailidis, Panos, & Pappa, 2008)
IS HEAD LICE SPECIFIC TO A
GEOGRAPHICAL AREA?

10. Economic costs of head lice
A current estimate of the costs to treat
head lice is 5 billion.
(Frankowski, & Bocchini, 2013;
Hansen, 2000; Hansen, & O’Haver,
2004)
IS HEAD LICE COSTLY?

11. HEAD LICE
IMPACT OF LEARNING LICE ON
STUDENTS

12. Students may play safer, in terms of
physical contact, with one another in
common places, such as schools and
homes.
•Common types of play are sport
games, slumber party activities,
playground, and camps.
(C.D.C., 2013a)
WHAT COULD BE STUDENTS’
REACTION TO LEARNING LICE?

13. Students, who have lice, should be
permitted to attend school.
•Schools’ No-Nits policies are not
deterrents to schools become head lice
– free.
•Some reasons includes:
•A) Absenteeism is a greater issue for
parents and students than the risks
associated to head lice.
(C.D.C., 2013b)
WILL STUDENTS, WHO HAVE LICE,
WANT TO ATTEND SCHOOL?

14. HEAD LICE
Health Sub-Standards: Lesson Ideas

15. Lesson Plan
•Grade: 2
•Lesson title: Empathy
•Health sub – standard: 1.1.M Describe a variety of emotions.
•Suggested Resource: Talking About Your Feelings
KidsHealth.org/kid/feeling/thought/talk_feelings.html
•Idea: The teacher directs students to identify their feelings to the question, How
would you feel if…The students imagine they are in head lice-related situations.
Examples of these situations are having head lice and witnessing a peer ridiculing
another peer who has head lice. Suggested learning activity is role-playing (Kids
Heatlh, 2015a). Teacher helps students to identify what they could say or do to make
each situation positive. Learning goal is students demonstrating an ability to
communicate interpersonally. Students also are practicing how to listen and speak
and learning how to respond to head lice reasonably.
ENGLISH AND HEALTH

16. Lesson Plan
•Grade: 3
•Lesson title: Healthy Behaviors
•Health sub – standard: 7.1.G Determine behaviors that promote healthy growth and development.
•Suggested Resource: What to Do if You Can’t Sleep KidsHealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/body/cant_sleep.html
•Idea: The teacher directs students to complete a sleeping log for one week and identify the day or days they
did not get 7 to 9 hours of sleep (Kids Health, 2015b). The teacher asks the students to determine if they are
getting enough sleep most of the days of the week. To help the students practice communicating their health
needs, the teacher directs them to imagine they are either showing signs of having head lice or live with a
person who has head lice. The students are to identify actions to help relieve the uncomfortable feeling of
having lice or to make a suggestions of how the other person can try to become comfortable. Students are
trying to identify actions that are useful to them getting enough sleep. Suggested learning activities are sleep
logs, role playing, and partner activities. Learning goals are students strengthen math operation skills,
strengthen communication skills in promoting a healthy lifestyle, and become aware of how the difficulty
sleeping symptom of head lice is an unhealthy behavior.
MATH AND HEALTH

17. Please consider completing the following quiz, http://
www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/document.aspx?ContentTypeID=40&ContentI
. Determine your head lice knowledge level. Adults, such as teachers, should be
aware of head lice. Children will rely on adults to help them properly,
reasonably, and respectfully handle the issue of head lice if they become infected.
CONCLUSION

18. http://kidshealth.org
http://www.webmd.com
http://www.headlice.org/kids
RESOURCES FOR PARENTS, CHILD CARE
PROVIDERS, AND SCHOOLS’ PERSONNEL

19. Bonilla, D., Durdenz, L., Eremeeva, M., & Dashe, G. (2013). The biology and taxonomy of head and body lice— implications for
louse-borne disease prevention. PLOS PATHOGENS, 9(11), 1-5. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003724
California Department of Education (CDE). (2010). Health education content standards for California public Schools, kindergarten
through grade twelve. Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/healthstandmar08.pdf
Centers for Disease Control. (C.D.C). (2013a). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/gen_info/faqs.html#symptoms
Centers for Disease Control. (C.D.C). (2013b). Head lice information for schools. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/schools.html
Falagas, M.E., Mathaiou, D.K., Rafailidis, P.I., Panos, G., & Pappas, G. (2008). Worldwide
prevalence of head lice. Emerging Infectious Disease, 14(9), 1493 – 1494. doi: 10.3201/eid1409.080368
Frankowski, B.L., & Bocchini, J.A. (2010). Head lice. Pediatrics, 126(2), 392 – 403. doi: 10.1542/peds.2010-1308
Hansen, R.C. (2000). Guidelines for the treatment of resistant pediculosis. Contemporary Pediatrics, 4-10.
Hansen, R.C., & O’Haver, J. (2004). Economic considerations associated with pediculus humanus capitis infestation. Clinical
Pediatrics, 43(6), 523-527.
KidsHealth. (2015a). Grades Pre-K-2. Retrieved at http://classroom.kidshealth.org/index.jsp?Grade=pk&Section=personal
KidsHealth. (2015b). Grades 3-5. Retrieved at HeadLiceQuizclassroom.kidshealth.org/index.jsp?Grade=35&Section=body
NP School Nurses (Presenter). (NSN). (2014, 27 February). School nurses talk head lice [video]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlj2FrOqeHE
University of Rochester Medical Center. (U.R.M.C.). ( 2015). How much do you know about lice. Retrieved from
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/document.aspx?ContentTypeID=40&ContentID=HeadLiceQuiz
REFERENCES