Salisbury Central School

Health Office
Lice Information

           From time to time we find children in school with head lice. I ask that you take the time to inspect your child’s hair and scalp. After doing so, if you have any questions, please contact Mary Cadman our school nurse (435-0254 or 435-9871). This letter will give you the latest information concerning the subject.

            Head lice continues to be one of the most prevalent communicable childhood diseases among American children, and outbreaks are possible wherever children gather. Screen your child regularly and notify us immediately if head lice are detected. Please contact your child’s physician if you have any questions. Working together helps protect all children, including your own. Thank you for your cooperation.

            How You Get It:  Head lice are usually transmitted through close personal contact with another infested individual or through use of shared combs, brushes, and other grooming aids; through sharing hats, caps, wigs, coats; or through co-mingling of these items at the homes of friends, at school, at church or other public places. Most parents have the impression that lice become established on persons who are unclean. In the case of head lice, this is NOT true. Frequent bathing will neither prevent head lice nor eliminate an infestation once it has become established.

            What To Look For: Head lice are about the size of a sesame seed, usually brown, and move quickly away from light. Lice do not have wings and, therefore, cannot fly. They do not jump, but do move very quickly; this makes them difficult to find in a child’s hair.

            Since crawling forms are so difficult to see, the diagnosis of head louse infestation is frequently made on the basis of finding nits. A nit is a louse egg. Nits are oval in shape, about this size (   ), and vary in color from yellowish to white. Head lice attach each nit to a hair shaft with a waterproof, cement-like substance. Clusters of nits may be found in any section of hair, but in mild infestations a careful examination of the entire scalp may be necessary to detect them.

            Treatment: If you find your child with head lice please notify the school as soon as possible – this is very important. Treat your child with an over-the-counter lice treatment or consult your physician for his/her recommendation. Your child may return to school after he or she has been treated and has been cleared by the nurse for re-entry.

            Thank you for your assistance in this matter. If you have any questions, please call.