Fiction: Head lice can jump or fly from person to person.
Fact: Head lice do not have wings. They can neither jump nor fly. They can only walk between heads when they come into contact.
Fiction: Head lice are a sign of bad hygiene.
Fact: Head lice are found equally often in clean hair as they are in dirty hair.
Fiction: The first sign of head lice is an itchy scalp.
Fact: Only about one in five people who have head lice suffer an itchy scalp. Head lice can only be confirmed present after a live louse is found, usually by detection combing. It is best to check your child’s head for lice regularly as there may be an infection without itching.
Fiction: If your child has head lice, the whole house must be treated.
Fact: There is no need to wash bedding at high temperatures, or use chemical cleaning agents to disinfect the furniture and carpets. Lice cannot survive much longer than 24 hours off the head. They need to feed within this time or they die. Washing the bedding in normal temperatures and vacuuming the carpets will be quite sufficient to ensure lice are removed.
Fiction: Head Lice carry diseases
Fact: Head lice do not carry disease. However, infections can occur as secondary problems from scratching the head as bacteria can penetrate the scalp through the damaged skin.
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