Dear Parents,

We have had another reported case of head lice in Grade 5. Head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) are a common community problem. Most commonly among children ages 3 to 11 years old. Live lice feed on human blood and live close to the human scalp. They are not dangerous and do not transmit disease, but they do spread easily..

Please check your child’s hair for lice and nits tonight.

Finding a live louse or louse eggs (nits) on the scalp or in the hair– most commonly behind the ears and near the neckline at the back of the head – is an indication of an active infestation. 

Treatment

• Treat the child with a louse treatment from the pharmacy
• Parents should closely follow treatment instructions. Using extra amounts or multiple applications of the same medication is not recommended.
• Family bed linens and recently used clothes, hats and towels should be washed.
• Personal articles such as combs, brushes and hair clips should also be washed in hot soapy water.
• All household members and other close contacts should be checked, and anyone with evidence of an active infestation should be treated. All persons with active head lice should be treated at the same time.
• Long hair should be tied up and remind your children not to share hats, clips or combs.
• A nit comb is needed to remove dead lice and nits. It’s very important that all nits be removed from the hair. On the rare occasion when the treatment has not been successful any live nits will hatch and produce more lice. Comb the hair from the scalp outward checking for lice and nits and check the comb (against light) after every pull through and remove nits and debris from the comb with a tissue. It is imperative that the hair is fine combed every day for 14 days to make sure that every last nit is mechanically removed.

REMEMBER

• Head lice infest people with good hygiene.
• Head lice do not transmit disease, but they do spread easily
• Head lice move by crawling, they cannot jump or fly and are most often spread by direct head-to-head contact. It is also possible, but uncommon, to spread head lice by contact with clothing (such as hats, scarves, coats) or other personal items (such as combs, brushes or towels).
• It is recommended to check children weekly for head lice

Further Reading:

Kanton Zurich school health guidelines for head lice

Head lice- What now?                                    Head lice?  Get rid of them!

CDC Headlice guidelines https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/treatment.html

NHS Headlice guidelines https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-lice-and-nits/

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Best Regards,

ECC Nurse: Jane Patrick (058 750 2250) ec_reception@zis.ch

LS Nurses:Amanda Gaillet & Abigail Morgan (058 750 2222) ls_nurses@zis.ch

MS Nurses: Erika Lang & Abigail Morgan (058 750 2322)  ms_nurses@zis.ch

US Nurses: Helma van Vliet & Maria Persson Korn    (058 750 2422)   us_nurses@zis.ch