Vernon Hills school on alert after lice outbreak

A head lice outbreak at a Vernon Hills elementary school has prompted a warning for parents and precautionary steps at the school, officials said Friday.

Since the tiny, wingless parasites first were discovered Wednesday at Townline Elementary School, 19 infected children have been sent home, Hawthorn Elementary District 73 spokeswoman Lynn Brandl said. She called the outbreak "significant."

The affected kids appear to be in the same upper-grade social group, Brandl said. Most are fifth-graders.

A few are younger siblings of older students who also were infected, she said.

All of Townline's roughly 900 students are being checked for lice at the school by a nurse and teachers. Students are being examined repeatedly to ensure any cases are caught, Brandl said.

Additionally, officials are bagging and sealing seat sacks that hang on the backs of students' chairs and hold supplies. The bags will remain sealed long enough to kill the lice.

School materials that can't easily be washed will be bagged, too.

Custodians already on alert because of swine flu will be looking for signs of head lice.

Brandl called the steps "aggressive."

"They want to get this at the beginning," she said. "They're being really vigilant."

Head lice feed on human blood and cause itching but do not spread disease. They generally are treated with special shampoos or creams.

Townline students found to have head lice are being sent home because the district has a firm "no-nit" policy, which isn't uncommon, Brandl said. A nit is a lice egg.

Notes for parents about the outbreak went home with fifth-graders Wednesday, and with all students Thursday.

To ensure students' safety, parents should examine their children for lice daily for the next two weeks and not leave the task to school officials, Brandl said. Weekly screenings should follow, officials said.

"We can't keep track of every kid, every day," Brandl said. "Parents really need to step in and help."

The Lake County Health Department had not heard of outbreaks at any other schools.

What you should know

•Human lice feed on human blood.

•Three types exist: Head lice, body lice and pubic lice.

•Only body lice are known to spread disease.

•Infestations usually are spread by close, person-to-person contact. Dogs, cats and other pets do not transmit human lice.

•Lice move by crawling; they cannot hop or fly.

•Head lice take one or two weeks to incubate.

•They are contagious as long as the lice or nits are present.

•Over-the-counter and prescription medications are available for treatment of lice infestations.

•If you have lice, personal items such as towels, bedding and hats must be washed with hot water and soap. If articles can't be washed, they should be dry-cleaned or placed in a secured plastic bag for two weeks to kill the parasites.

•To avoid lice: Don't share personal items such as hats, coats and brushes; tie your hair back, if appropriate

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hawthorn Elementary District 73