Parents warned of 'super' head lice
Deputy chief public health officer shares tips on how to avoid the schoolyard critter
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
As children prepare to head back to school, the NWT's deputy chief public health officer is advising them not to swap hats or share combs.
Dr. Kami Kandola said those are two of the most common ways head lice can be transferred from one person to another. Her comments come after a report indicating there is now a "super" strain of head lice out there that has become resistant to traditional treatments.
A study by the Journal of Medical Entomology suggests 97 per cent of North American lice sampled has evolved into a powerful strain of bugs immune to the key ingredient used in most treatment products such as creams, sprays and shampoos. The new strain of blood-sucking parasites dominates Canadian cases, the report stated. Kandola said the report covered three Canadian provinces but did not make specific reference to the Northwest Territories.
Kandola said the Department of Health and Social Services has known about the resistant strain for a couple of years now, so the department came up with a new head-lice pamphlet. Because head lice is not considered to be a dangerous medical issue, she does not have statistics for head-lice infestations in Yellowknife.
"Three years ago, we would say, 'Just do one treatment and comb and if you could still see lice of nits, then apply the second treatment,'" Kandola said. "Now we changed it. We're saying, 'Do two treatments right away and a nit comb in between.'"
Kandola said it is important for everyone to understand getting head lice can happen to anyone and that the stigma that comes with head lice is due to misinformation.
"Rich kids, poor kids, clean hair, dirty hair. It is not a reflection of poor hygiene," Kandola said. "Check once a week, especially as kids return to school. Check in good light and if you find them ... choose your application," Kandola said.
She is advising parents to make sure their children do not share bike helmets, hair clips, headphones or ear buds. As well, she said to try to avoid any head-to-head contact and put long hair in a ponytail or braid.
The doctor said information about head lice can be found on the health department's website, which describes head lice as very tiny greyish insects that can live up to 30 days near the hair root and can also be found in eyebrows and beards. Lice lay up to eight eggs (nits) per day. They do not jump or fly.
The nits are found firmly attached to the hair shaft and are difficult to remove. They are found mainly on children who go to school or daycare. The lice feed on human blood and do not always cause itching. They cannot be killed by regular shampoos but the newer treatments are listed in the government pamphlet and pharmacists should be able to help parents find and properly use the latest head lice shampoo and cream treatments.
It has also been suggested that parents advise their children against taking selfies because there is often head-to-head contact when people try to squeeze into a photo.
