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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 Jul 30 to Aug 12 - Email, Notes, Memos, Info - LiceFlax Pond Adventure Program Yarmouth Recreation 2015 Flax Pond MEMO To: Flax Parents/ Guardians From: Mary Franklin, Asst. Recreation Director Date: August 12, 2015 Re: Information about Head Lice We are writing to inform you that during routine Lice checks over the last 7 days we located a few children on property with lice. All children affected were sent home and treated and then returned once they have been cleared. We take a proactive approach to this matter and are asking you as well to check your child if they have been to a group outing or sleepover as most of these discoveries of children with lice, they did not get from Flax Pond. Head lice are common in educational and childcare settings and can be spread easily. Lice is usually transferred by sharing head wear, towels or pillows with someone who is infected. If you feel your child may have lice, non-prescription medications such as special shampoos can be found at your local drug store. We will continue to check the children each week as scheduled. If we discover eggs or lice we will contact you to pick up your child for the day so that you can treat the lice before it spreads further. Once a child with lice is treated and cleared by our Health and Safety supervisor they can return to the program. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Maria at the Flax Pond office: 508-760-4815 or the Recreation office at 508-398-2231 ext 1520 CC: Bruce Murphy, Yarmouth Health Director May 2014 1 Page 1 of 2 What are lice? Lice (singular louse) are tiny, wingless insects that survive by feeding on human blood. They cannot jump or fly, and they do not burrow under the skin. Adult head lice or their eggs (nits) are found in the hair and are most often found behind the ears and at the base of the neck. Head lice usually lay their eggs on strands of hair about 4 mm or'/4 of an inch from the scalp. Who gets head lice? Anyone can get head lice, but in the United States, head lice are most common in children 3-12 years of age. Having lice is referred to as an "infestation." An infestation with head lice does not mean someone is dirty. Head lice have special "claws" on their legs to help them cling to the hair. Washing with plain soap and water does little to disturb them. How are head lice spread? Head lice are most commonly spread by direct head -to -head contact with hair of other people who have head lice. Head lice are less commonly spread through contact with an infested person's personal items, such as hair brushes and combs, hats, unwashed clothing, bedding or towels. Head lice are commonly spread within households. Children often spread head lice to each other during close contact while playing. Head lice can crawl from an infested person or object to a non -infested person. People with head lice can continue to spread head lice to other people until they complete a course of treatment that kills all of the head lice and their eggs. Pets cannot spread head lice. What are the symptoms of head lice? A person who has head lice may feel itching caused by a reaction to the louse's saliva and feces, but many children have no symptoms. Head lice are not known to spread infectious diseases from person to person and should not be thought of as a medical problem. However, there is some risk of skin infection from scratching. Head lice are certainly a nuisance, but they are not generally considered a health hazard. How are head lice diagnosed? The best way to determine if someone is infested with head lice is to find a living adult louse. However, adult head lice are rarely seen because they are fast and hide well. Identification of a head lice infestation is usually made by detecting nits attached to the hair close to the scalp. Nits are tiny, grey, oval specks that do not come off of the hair easily like a speck of dandruff would. Behind the ears and near the hairline at the base of the neck are common places to find nits. Nits found within'/4 of an inch from the scalp usually mean the nits are alive and treatment is needed. If the nits are more than'/4 of an inch from the scalp, you should ask your doctor if treatment is necessary. How do you prevent head lice? Children should be checked regularly and treated when head lice are found. Parents should learn to recognize head lice and teach their children not to share hats and scarves or personal hair care items, such as brushes, combs and hair ties. What is the treatment for head lice? There are a number of effective treatments for head lice. Treatment for head lice usually consists of shampooing the hair with a medicated shampoo or cream rinse containing one of the following ingredients: Massachusetts Department of Public Health I Bureau of Infectious Disease 1 305 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 May 2014 1 Page 2 of 2 permethrin, pyrethrin, malathion, benzyl alcohol, spinosad, or ivermectin. Shampoos containing lindane are no longer recommended. Safety is a major concern and these products should be used with care, under the supervision of a health care provider (even though some of them do not need a prescription) and always according to the instructions on the label. This is especially important for women who are pregnant or nursing, and for infants with head lice. Be sure to follow the package or label instructions very carefully. Permethrin and pyrethrin-based products have a good safety record but resistance has been documented in the United States. For treatment failures, malathion, benzyl alcohol lotion, or spinosad suspension can be used. Hair should be checked daily for the 10 days following treatment for newly hatched head lice. If these are present, an additional treatment may be necessary. Many of these agents require a reapplication of the treatment 7-10 days later to kill immature lice that may have hatched from eggs that were not inactivated during the initial treatment. Data are lacking to determine whether suffocation of lice by application of products such as petroleum jelly, olive oil, butter, or fat -containing mayonnaise, are effective methods of treatment of head lice. Manual removal of nits after successful treatment is a difficult and time-consuming process. It is sometimes desired, though, for aesthetic reasons, to avoid diagnostic confusion, or to satisfy "no -nits" policies at some schools and daycare centers (see below). Additional precautions: Household and other close contacts should be examined and treated if head lice are found. Remember, head lice do not survive for long periods of time off of the scalp. Even though head lice are not commonly spread by contact with personal belongings, the following steps can be taken as added precautions to avoid re - infestation by lice that have recently fallen off of the head of an infested person. • Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that an infested person wore or used during the 2 days before treatment using the hot water (130°F) laundry cycle and the high heat drying cycle. Clothing and items that are not washable can be dry-cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks. • Soak combs and brushes in hot (128.3°F/53.5°C) water for 5 minutes. • Thoroughly vacuum rugs, upholstered furniture, and mattresses. • DO NOT USE INSECTICIDE SPRAYS. What is a "no nits" policy? Many school departments and child care sites require that children be free of nits before returning to school and parents should be familiar with their own school's or day care's head lice policy. However, both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses advocate that "no -nit" policies should be abandoned. Head lice are not a health hazard or a sign of poor hygiene and are not responsible for the spread of any disease. No healthy child should be excluded from or miss school because of head lice. Where can I find more information? • Your doctor, nurse, health clinic, or local board of health (listed in the phone book under "local government") • The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) Division of Epidemiology and Immunization, (617) 983-6800 • The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.aov/parasites/lice/head/index.html • American Academy of Pediatrics: http://pediatrics.aal2publications.ora/content/110/3/638.full.pdf Massachusetts Department of Public Health I Bureau of Infectious Disease 1 305 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 Renaud, Phili From: Flax Pond Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2015 10:51 AM To: Renaud, Philip Cc: Franklin, Mary; Solmonte, Mona Subject: Update- Head Checks Complete M, We have completed head checks, we have one child with lice who is not in the same age group as the child found on Monday. All other children have been cleared. We will complete our normal checks again next Monday. Maria Maria R. Cobill Parks and Recreation Division Flax Pond Coordinator 508-760-4815 ) C, \,-\r Lb 5-T-Ii — (.ems &—/LCcd-e ?e'6GMr✓1P-)-O �e Sen-r fit- 013 a J7 0,11b_ I ice wact Lice Flo)( 1 rw Rec . 201 1, 30 " I;R• r -------------- 17) a R (- q-- n �� �(C ('��. ,-Si N 1 2 se- S-f-- f�. <� Z-I of- 2 j Owl Sin C� � �C Flax Pond Adventure Program Yarmouth Recreation 2014 Flax Pond MEMO To: Flax Parents/ Guardians From: Mary Franklin, Asst. Recreation Director Date: July 30, 2014 Re: Head Lice at Flax We are writing to inform you that during the routine Lice check we located a few children and staff with head lice. The children and staff were sent home and can not return to camp until the situation has cleared up. All the other children on property have been checked and are free of lice. We are taking a proactive approach to this matter and are asking you to please periodically check your child's head. Information in regards to checking your child's head for lice can be found at www.webmd.com, keyword lice. Head lice are common in educational and childcare settings and can be spread easily. Lice is usually transferred by sharing head wear or towels with someone who is infected. If you feel your child may have lice, non-prescription medications such as special shampoos can be found at your local drug store. We will continue to check the children and staff periodically for head lice. If we discover eggs or lice we will contact you to remove your child from the program that day so that you can treat the lice before they spread any further. Once a child with lice is treated and cleared by our Health and Safety supervisor, they can return to the property. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Maria at the Flax Pond Office: (508) 760-4815 or the Recreation Office: (508) 398-2231 ext 1520.